Captivation
by Angelic Candy
Summary: After the war,Harry attends a Quidditch Academy.He thinks his problems are over until he discovers Draco there.The animosity between them flares again.As their rivalry heats up,Harry realizes their relationship is morphing into something unexpected.H
1. Prologue

Captivation

**Captivation**

Disclaimer: All these wonderful characters belong to J.K. Rowling (I just torture them).

_Spoilers: Books 1-6 (mainly OOTP, HPB)_

Author's Note: This is my first Harry Potter slash. Most of my HP stories have been general (no slash or much romance) but since I read slash I decided to try my hand at it! Pairing in this story is Draco/Harry. I do also have another in-progress Harry/Draco one out now called Pure Rhapsody!

_**STORY WARNING:**__** Male/Male sexual situations! **_

_Pairing:_ **Draco/Harry**

_SYNOPSIS:_ Harry figures out a plan that destroys Voldemort and ends the war. After the war, Harry wonders what to do with his life. He soon finds himself in a prestigious professional Quidditch Academy. Starting a new life with a dream sounds wonderful until he realizes Draco Malfoy was also accepted and wants to become a famous player. Just when he thought all his problems had been solved, the rivalry between the two materializes once again. However, as his studies at the Academy begin to get more challenging, Harry realizes the rivalry between him and Draco is beginning to morph into something completely unexpected.

_**Chapter (Prologue) warning: A little of (reluctant)Harry/Ginny in this first chapter (don't worry it's the only and last!)**_

**Prologue: **

The wind blew so hard Harry's grip nearly slipped from his broom handle. It was dark—almost midnight now—and still he hadn't found any clue. Thankfully, winter was ending and spring was soon to come so he wasn't as numb as when he was searching during the winter. His eighteenth birthday was only a few months away, not that he was looking forward to it. He had temporarily ceased contact with any of his close friends who were trying to help him prepare for his battle with Voldemort. Hermione, Ron and Ginny were the very few he really kept in touch with since he wasn't attending Hogwarts for his last year (although it was more than half over already). He wasn't even sure Hogwarts would be safe any longer, but hopefully his friends would survive the war. He wasn't so sure about his self. So far, finding Voldemort's Horcruxes seemed to be an impossible mission. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry changed course and headed back to the abandoned chapel he had been hiding out in for the past few weeks.

The chapel had been abandoned for decades, from what Hermione had told him. She was the one who suggested that place for his hideaway. It was relatively isolated, on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, and a safe place for the time being. Ginny had wanted desperately to come with him. The last time he had seen her was shortly after Dumbledore's funeral when he had told her, Hermione and Ron that they could help him but they all had to stay apart (since all the Death Eaters and those on Voldemort's side wanted him dead). It would be too dangerous for his friends to stay anywhere near him.

Ginny had been very upset and reluctant to leave. She still considered them an item but Harry had said they should break it off for her safety. He really didn't feel romantically attached to her anymore, although he hadn't wanted to tell her that especially not at that point. Perhaps she had been an infatuation that he needed to distract himself from what was going on around him. It was true that although he was a teenager he never had time to deal with hormones or girls much at all. And she was conveniently there, being the younger girl who had a crush on him for years. Now, however he was consumed by his determination to stop Voldemort at all costs. So far he hadn't been able to find Voldemort's real Horcrux—the one that should've been there when he and Dumbledore had went for it. And he hadn't figured out who had taken it either. It was all so complex and there wasn't enough time to figure out where the other Horcruxes were. Harry was quickly becoming discouraged.

He reached the chapel and slumped down on the dingy mattress in the underground passage he had created. He managed to sneak food in from Hogsmeade, however many stores were closing because of Voldemort. Everyone was trying to find a place to hide and there weren't enough places in the world. Some were going to the muggle world to hide, but Voldemort would pillage the whole muggle world soon enough. There was just so much chaos that it was easy to give up hope. All the students were either remaining with their families in Hogwarts or went into hiding somewhere. Hermione and her family were staying with the Weasleys at Hogwarts (along with Neville and his grandma). It was of course temporary. Although Hogwarts was normally the safest place, it would definitely be one of Voldemort's targets. The Order had managed to stay together for the most part (though some members disappeared and others dropped out). Since Dumbledore was no longer there Mad-Eye Moody and Mr. Weasley had taken over the Order for the most part.

"It's hopeless! Dumbledore entrusted me to find the remainder of the Horcruxes and I can't even find _one_!" Harry snapped angrily.

He punched the wall, wishing that Sirius was still there. He was the only person Harry truly opened up to even more than Dumbledore. All the Slytherins had left Hogwarts (except for Blaise Zabini and his family plus Pansy Parkinson's family) and either joined Voldemort out of fear or also vanished without a trace (probably into hiding). Harry had gotten one small hint from visiting the old Riddle mansion. There was an old letter there that he had taken, which was still crumpled in his pocket. It looked like a clue to finding out one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, for it was addressed to Tom about some mystical and rare item he had wanted but the letter didn't state what the item was, where it had been placed or who the letter was even written by.

All of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry knew, were chosen delicately—they were normally objects of great power and significance to his past. Harry was certain if Voldemort had some sort of family heirloom (like a family ring or rare dark arts object) that would probably contain a soul, but Voldemort most likely kept it either on his person or nearby at all times. And how many did he make? Did he exceed seven? Dumbledore assumed Tom had reached seven, but he hadn't been sure. How was Harry supposed to find all of them before Voldemort began killing and burning cities and homes? Not only did he have to find them but he had to figure out to destroy each one as well. Dumbledore's charred hand came to mind and he shuddered.

"If only Voldemort didn't have Horcruxes this would be so much easier!"

Harry's head jerked upward and his back straightened instantly. "That's it!"

He jumped off the mattress and went digging around in his belongings until he found a mirror, similar to the one Sirius had given him that he had never used and broke out of anger. It was the only thing he used to keep in contact with his friends for emergency purposes. Quickly he tapped it and murmured: "Hermione Granger."

All at once behind the glass of the mirror swirls of blue and green mist appeared. For several minutes, Harry stared at it waiting for something to happen. Suddenly a face appeared in it—a tired and forlorn face.

"Harry?" Hermione asked sleepily.

"Sorry, if I woke you Hermione. It's an emergency!"

"Who is it? Is it Harry?" he heard Ginny's voice in the background.

His stomach clenched uncomfortably and Ginny's face appeared beside Hermione's. "Harry! Oh I'm so happy to see you're alright."

"Yeah, sorry but I've got to talk fast," Harry said quickly.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"I think I found a way to stop Voldemort but I need your help."

Ginny's eyes widened and she glanced at Hermione who was also staring back in shock.

"Of course! What's your plan?" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry licked his lips. "Well, I need to somehow go back in time…to when Voldemort had just come to Hogwarts. If I can stop him from creating Horcruxes and finding information about them, then he won't become immortal."

"Harry, going back that far in time is very tricky and the ingredients to make the potions necessary…well, they're hard to come by," Hermione said softly.

"I can get them! I know this place in Knockturn Alley, Borgin and Burkes! Borgin sells all kinds of illegal items to Slytherins; he's being doing it for Malfoy's father for years!" Harry exclaimed. "Please, we've got to try! I'm having too much trouble tracking down the Horcruxes."

Hermione bit her lip in thought and hesitantly she nodded. "Alright. I'll need you to pick up some supplies. If you can get all the ingredients then we could probably do it."

"Great! What items do I need?" Harry asked, fumbling around for a quill and parchment.

For a minute, Hermione had to think but once Harry was ready she answered.

"Okay, you'll need a staring glass eye (they're very rare), a poisonous candle, three black spiders, two shrunken heads, a snake skin, a vial of dragon blood and the hardest one to come by…you need something of the person whose past you want to change. If you manage to get all these items, Harry I've got the Time Turner we used back in our third year. This just might work!"

Harry nodded after jotting the rest down. "We can use Voldemort's old diary. It's still in Dumbledore's office so you'll need to get it. It's most likely with the Sorting Hat. And thanks Hermione, I'll knock on the seventh floor window of the Gryffindor Common Room once I've retrieved these. You get everything else set up."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically and Harry saw that Ginny looked sad.

"You help her out too, Ginny. I'll see you later."

Smiling, Ginny nodded and Harry tapped his wand on the mirror again to clear it. Most of the items he knew were at Borgins, but if it wasn't there he'd have to steal it from somewhere else. Immediately he swung his invisibility cloak over himself and flew on his Firebolt toward Knockturn Alley. Unfortunately, it wasn't as deserted as he hoped it would be. Many people in cloaks were walking around and Harry wasn't sure if they were Death Eaters, Slytherins or Order members in disguise. It was probably a mixture and he wasn't about to take any chances with being seen by anyone. Harry ducked inside of Borgins and Burkes. There was another customer being helped at the counter so Harry quietly snuck around the store. The spiders were easy to pick up and stun then slip them in his pocket. The shrunken heads he went for next, but he realized that there was only one on the shelf. Perhaps in back there were more…

Slipping around the corner, Harry nearly gasped as the customer walked right by him. Mr. Borgins was behind the counter and fiddling greedily with the money he was given. Very cautiously, Harry slipped closer toward the counter. Unfortunately, the man was in his way. Harry bit his lip hard and decided to distract him. With a wave of his wand, he had one of the items tip over. Mr. Borgins wheeled around and stomped over to it. Harry slipped behind the counter and into the back room as quickly and quietly as he could. Once there, he realized just how many items and shelves there were. He found another shrunken head easily. Walking past some more shelves, Harry decided to wave his wand around to see if there was anything hidden. The wall to his left opened and Harry smiled as he snuck inside. There were vials of unknown substances and bones of all sorts along with old books on Dark Arts. Harry's eyes moved to the third shelf that had a vial full of an interesting violet liquid. Standing on tip-toes, Harry reached up and grabbed it. The word's _Hungarian Horntail Blood_ flashed at him and Harry smiled instantly. The potion slipped into his pocket just as he felt the hairs on his neck rise.

Using Quidditch instincts, Harry ducked suddenly and a curse just barely missed him. Unfortunately, his invisibility cloak slipped off him. Mr. Borgins sneered at him, keeping his wand pointed.

"Harry Potter…what brings you into my store? Stealing items that you aren't going to pay for now?"

"You wouldn't have given them to me even if I offered to pay," Harry replied bluntly.

He cursed his luck and held his wand tightly in his hand. Mr. Borgins had him cornered in the small secret room, but Harry wasn't about to let this man step in his way.

"Dragon's blood, huh? Whatever do you need that for?" he sneered again, stepping closer.

"None of your business!" Harry snapped.

"This is my store and only Slytherins are allowed!" Mr. Borgins glared cruelly.

Without a word, Harry shot up his wand in the air and Mr. Borgins wand flew out of his hand.

"You think I can't handle you? You're _nothing_ compared to Voldemort!" Harry snarled.

Instead of looking surprised, Borgins just laughed coldly. "Perhaps Potter, the Dark Lord has had too much of an influence on you. You almost sound Slytherin."

"I'm half Slytherin actually," Harry said. "_See?_" he added in Parseltongue.

Now Mr. Borgins looked utterly shocked for a few seconds. He recovered quickly and pulled out a spare wand suddenly. Harry was thrown backward into the wall, stunned.

"You think I'm not prepared for thieves, Potter? I think it's time I took care of you…but don't worry, I won't kill you. No…I'll hand you over to the Dark Lord myself which will put me high on his good list."

Harry's gaze darkened as the man closed in. He reacted without thinking and kicked up a leg. The wand flew out of the man's hand and Harry's shoe collided with his face. The man stumbled backward, shocked and now bleeding.

"What a muggle move!" he snarled darkly.

"Obliviate!" Harry bellowed.

The man couldn't move out of the way in time and was suddenly consumed by the spell. Harry dodged around him before the spell had a full impact and wrapped his invisibility cloak around his self. Thankfully, the customer had left so Harry easily jumped over the counter and ran out of the store. Carelessly, he crashed right into somebody. Harry's heart nearly stopped in his chest as the black-cloaked figure stumbled. It wheeled around and Harry, still holding the cloak around his self, began fearfully stepping backward.

"You!" he shouted.

Harry's throat constricted; how could the man see him? Suddenly the man pointed his wand at him and the curse flew right over his head. Harry jumped out of the way, but heard a yelp from behind. Wheeling around, he saw another cloaked figure that shakily stood up from the hex and glared daggers at the man. It was Bella Lestrange.

"You stupid idiot!" she snarled.

"You bumped into me!" a voice hissed.

It appeared that no one saw Harry; the man thought Bella had been the one to rudely bump into him. And it was obvious the two didn't know one another. Harry felt relief course through him and quickly ran to a safe distance where he got on his broom and flew off. He still needed snake skin, but that was easy; he knew where to get that. Hogwarts wasn't far and just like he had said, he knocked on the window. He heard voices and soon the window opened to him. He flew inside and landed gracefully. Immediately arms flung around him and Harry nearly toppled over.

"Harry I missed you so much!" Ginny exclaimed.

The cloak fell off his shoulders and when Harry turned around Ginny threw her self at him and clashed their lips together eagerly. Harry's surprise was muffled through the kiss, but once he regained balance he grabbed her shoulders gently and pulled her away.

"Ginny, I thought I told you it wasn't safe," he said, wishing that a black hole would just swallow him up. How in the world was he going to tell her he wasn't interested in her anymore? (He certainly wasn't about to tell her the truth. He wouldn't ever tell her (or anyone for that matter) that she had just been a temporary attraction to him at the end of his sixth year when he was incredibly stressed with all the pressure on him to stop Voldemort and not to mention Dumbledore's death). Shortly after they had started "dating" he had begun to realize he wasn't really interested in her as more than a friend, but because Ron had been so thrilled Ginny was dating him he had continued with the casual "dating" for a while. Now, however, he didn't even want to do that anymore.

"Harry, I can't help it! I can't stand not being with you," Ginny pleaded as her eyes began tearing up.

Feeling helpless, Harry just nodded. "I know, but I told you I can't have any emotional attachments. Look…let's just work together to end this terrible war, alright?"

Her lip trembled slightly, but Ginny was stronger than Cho had been (and definitely didn't cry as much). She nodded reluctantly and a voice cleared their throat nearby. Harry and Ginny turned to see Hermione staring at them.

"Sorry to interrupt. Harry, did you get everything?"

"I just need the snake-skin. I'm going down to the Chamber of Secrets to get it," Harry said, piling the items out of his pockets. "Here's the rest of it though. Did you find the diary?"

"Yeah, you were right; it was with the Sorting Hat," Ginny answered.

Harry turned to her and nodded. It was hard looking her in the eye.

"Ron's still sleeping but we don't have to wake him up just yet. I've got the Time Turner too; thankfully I had it still in my trunk at the very bottom! I had thought about taking it out last year but left it in. Mostly because it's illegal to carry one so I was trying to hide it and I thought it was unlikely someone would look in a young schoolgirl's trunk," she shrugged. "Anyway, I'll get these down to the dungeons and start the brewing of the potion. You collect that snake-skin!"

"Er, right," Harry agreed, heading out of the room.

"Harry wait!"

He inwardly groaned when Ginny appeared at his side, smiling. "I'll come with you and keep you company. Will you be alright on your own Hermione?"

"Oh yes, I'll be fine," she said, as she followed them out.

They all went in separate directions and Ginny grasped Harry's hand tightly. Harry fought the urge to release her grip and just smiled weakly in her direction. They reached the girls' bathroom and thankfully Moaning Myrtle wasn't in sight. Harry approached the sink and Ginny watched in fascination as he hissed in Parseltongue. The sinks moved apart and the two of them floated down the tunnel with the levitation charm. Thankfully, they managed to squeeze through a small hole in the rubble. The very long Basilisk snake-skin was still there luckily. It hadn't decayed much. He tore off a huge chunk and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Harry?"

Turning around, Harry nearly jumped when he found Ginny right in front of him staring at him with an unusual expression.

"Er…I got the snake-skin. We can go," he said uncertainly.

Glancing down for a second, Ginny shook her head. "Not yet. Hermione can wait a few more minutes. I have…a favor to ask of you."

Wiping his clammy hands on his jeans, Harry stared at her. "What is it?"

"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around him.

He was so stunned that he stumbled backward, taking her with him as they fell to the ground. Ginny lifted her head as he lay on the ground stunned, wincing because his shoulder had hit a rock. It took him a second to realize Ginny was bending down to kiss him.

"Ginny, wait!" Harry said frantically, pushing her up gently.

She glanced at him sadly and slid off to allow him to sit up. "We can't kiss anymore, remember?" Harry said.

"I don't care about the risk, Harry! Don't you understand why I came with you?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the look on her face. Ginny suddenly grasped his hand and roughly tugged it forward.

"I want you!" she exclaimed, forcing his hand upon her petite breast.

Stunned and embarrassed, Harry's face flushed and he jerked his hand away in surprise. "Ginny…what…I…you just…," he stumbled with words.

"Harry, I want this," she said softly. "I'd be your first, right? You told me once I was your first girlfriend, although you had that one kiss with Cho," she stated with mild bitterness. "Before you go off and do this, in case something happens where I don't see you for a long time or you get injured…or even if this war takes years to end, you know…if this idea doesn't work out, I want to know that we did something memorable together."

He was completely at a loss for words. His whole brain seemed to freeze and he just stared at her with his mouth slightly open. Although he was almost eighteen, a girl had never come onto him before; he was completely inexperienced. Now things were really screwed up; he didn't want to kiss her anymore let alone give up his virginity to her.

"Ginny, I…I can't," he stuttered, feeling incredibly anxious.

"But…why? Don't you want to? We could summon a bed, it's not like we'd have to lie on the ground. And Hermione would just think we couldn't find it right away or something."

Harry swallowed the thick lump in his throat. "It's…not that," he said uncomfortably. "Ginny, I…I need to tell you that I don't feel…well, romantic about you."

It was incredibly hard to say, but otherwise he had no excuse. Ginny stared at him with wide eyes that began to leak tears almost instantly.

"It's…it's another girl, isn't it?"

"No, it's not!" Harry exclaimed, sighing heavily. "Look, it's not someone else. I don't like any other girls or anything like that. I just…I think we'd be better being close friends, like before. It's just not working out, that's all. It's not your fault or anything," he added quickly. "You know that I…well, I'm not very good with this whole relationship thing in the first place."

Ginny's shoulders began to shake and her hair came down to cover her face as she stared at the ground. Harry sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"It's not that I don't care about you. In fact, I didn't want to hurt your feelings. That's why I couldn't tell you right away. But I swear it's not another girl. You know I'm not like that. It's just…better for me anyway if I'm not in any relationship right now. And even if there wasn't this war, I just don't feel romantic about you anymore. I mean you were a great first girlfriend!" Harry said quickly, feeling his face flush for he didn't know how to handle these things. "I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it. I'm just saying that I don't have the same feelings I had before. I don't know if my feelings changed because of the war or not but I want to be honest with you."

Sniffling, Ginny finally raised her head and wiped her eyes. "Well…it's not what I wanted to hear, but…I'm glad you're being honest. And I'm _definitely_ glad it's not because of another girl."

Harry felt relief flow inside of him and he gave her a small smile. "Thanks for understanding. I'm really, really sorry. I hope Ron doesn't hate me because I did this to you."

"Don't worry about him," she shook her head. "Look…if we're going to…well, break up and you're going off to try and stop the Dark Lord…can we at least do something? You know, to say goodbye."

His throat constricted again. "What do you mean?"

"Please just kiss me," Ginny said, pleadingly.

Glancing around nervously, Harry remained speechless. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but at the same time he really didn't think it was a good time to be making out, especially since he wasn't really attracted to her anymore. Ginny was suddenly upon him and she kissed him intensely. Harry tensed instinctively and tried to kiss back gently. Harry meant for his kiss to be short, but Ginny became more passionate as she moved her lips over his roughly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and without warning slipped her tongue into his mouth. Harry's eyes snapped open in surprise and he nearly jerked away. He tried to participate but he was feeling so awkward and tense that he couldn't get himself to kiss back much. Ginny's tongue roved over his own and Harry only felt more uncomfortable.

To make matters worse she shifted closer to him until she was practically on top of him, in his arms, with her hands wrapped around him. Her fingers lifted up his shirt and Harry made a sound in the back of his throat. Ginny continued however and stroked her fingers up his toned back. Without warning, Ginny grabbed one of Harry's hands and pressed it to her breast again practically forcing him to caress her. If Harry's face could turn any redder he'd be surprised. His whole body tensed, though Ginny didn't seem to notice. He was embarrassed again and uncomfortable. Harry finally broke away, trying to gently pry her off him.

"Harry, please….one more kiss," she pleaded, leaning back toward him.

"Ginny…I, I don't know…," Harry stammered. "We should really go help Hermione. If this doesn't work we'll need all the time we can get to think of another plan."

"It won't take long, Harry. I promise you this will be the last thing. I know we're breaking up and it's not that I won't remember you, because we'll still be friends, but I don't want to say goodbye. Just one more," Ginny said earnestly. "Please?"

Harry swallowed, feeling his face flush again. She understood the break-up and perhaps she was just asking for something in return for moving on. Still, it wasn't something he was comfortable with. Heck, he couldn't even bear to think about the fact that Moaning Myrtle had seen him naked at fourteen (there was no way in hell she hadn't looked). At his lack of response, Ginny moved forward and Harry sat still as she came closer. She pressed her lips against his and languidly began a slow rhythm. Her eyes had fluttered closed and she encircled her arms around him. Harry tried to relax but he was so uncomfortable that it was hard to. Harry suddenly jerked in surprise when he felt Ginny's hand on his crotch. He nearly fell backward taking her with him. Harry tried to break the kiss, but Ginny just pressed her body up against his and kissed him passionately as her hands caressed his crotch even with his jeans on. When Harry felt Ginny's hands on the button of his jeans he pushed his head back to break the kiss.

Harry stared at her with widened eyes. "W-what are you doing?"

"Harry, I…I want to do something intimate, something memorable."

His stomach flipped and without waiting for his response she began kissing him again. This time she brought his fingers beneath her shirt to cup her breast through her bra. It was a very awkward feeling, especially for Harry who had very little experience. Their make-out sessions hadn't ever led to groping in the past so this was completely new. He had to admit he didn't like it very much—it was too strange and he felt detached from it. But if it was to allow her to move on perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps if he just touched her once she'd be satisfied. Slowly, Harry squeezed her breast and it pulled a low moan from the back of her throat. Harry's muscles tensed at the sound, but Ginny moved in closer.

Harry didn't notice that his pants were loose until fingers were suddenly making their way into his pants and toward his boxers, touching his groin and Harry jumped, startled. It broke the kiss and he pulled his hand away from her breast. Ginny stared at him puzzled.

"You're not hard, Harry."

"Look…we really need to go," Harry said quickly as he tried to stand.

"Harry…don't you want to do anything memorable with me if it's the last time we'll be together? I could give you a blow-job," she said.

Harry felt his chest tighten. He was so stunned he couldn't say anything for several seconds. And unexpectedly, Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and led his fingers up her shirt again only this time she placed his fingers beneath her bra right on her bare breast. Harry's reflexes kicked in and he pulled away shocked and red in the face.

"Ginny stop! We really shouldn't be doing this! And…we just can't."

Ginny's eyes dimmed and she slowly got up off of him. "Oh Harry…I just wanted to show how much I love you."

Swallowing nervously, Harry buttoned his pants and stood up. "Er…thanks, but I…if we do something serious it'll be harder to break up. And if we don't get this potion done fast there might not be another chance."

Nodding reluctantly, she followed him back up the tunnel. Harry didn't say another word to her that whole night as the potion was brewing. Ron woke up and found them in the dungeons and nearly suffocated Harry in a hug (and then pulled away quickly to pretend that it wasn't a _real_ hug). Ginny seemed to be in a much better mood, however so she seemed alright with them breaking up. Finally, the potion was done and Hermione corked two vials of it.

"Alright, Harry, here's what you need to do. You pour one of the potions onto the Time Turner and turn it the number of years you want it to go back. Because we used the diary, this advanced potion should only change the Dark Lord's past now. So anything that happens to him in the past he will remember and it will come to be in the present," Hermione warned. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah, I just need to prevent him from finding out about Horcruxes. If I get there when he's about eleven I think I can prevent it. But…I'll need to follow him through his years. That'll take too long."

Hermione shook her head. "No, because this is an advanced potion and it's changing a specific individual's past, no matter how long you stay there no time will have passed here. There really shouldn't be any time…all you have to do is imagine the age you want and it'll switch to that year. It's not like you have to go through each day of each year with him. Just change what you need to. And the way you get back is to pour the other vial onto the Time Turner and turn it in the _opposite_ direction the same number of times. You should be invisible to everyone there."

"Thanks," Harry nodded.

"Good luck mate," Ron added, giving him a wary look.

Ginny just smiled at him and he smiled back reluctantly. "Alright, here it goes."

With that he poured the potion onto the Time Turner and turned it back sixty times (since Voldemort was at least 71 or 72, depending on when his birthday was). In a blurring flash, he was gone.

**XXXXX**

_**Three months later…**_

**Harry Potter—Teen Prodigy **

_Harry Potter has done it—he has saved us all! The Daily Prophet has long been following this child through his years at Hogwarts. Many strange occurrences happened with him—unexplained deaths and revelations of a prophecy and the Dark Lord's return. Now, at seventeen years of age, Harry Potter has survived the final battle with the Dark Lord and has finally proven to be stronger! The Minister himself said: _

"_I always knew the boy had it in him," Minister Scrimgeour said. "He was incredibly brilliant to have planned something like that!"_

_From what the Minister revealed to me, Harry Potter used a very advanced potion to go back in time and weaken the Dark Lord by preventing his immortality. When he came back to the present, he rushed off to help the Ministry and stayed with them until word got out that the Dark Lord and his army were approaching Hogwarts. It was by the hands of Harry Potter that the Dark Lord fell. Once the Dark Lord's followers saw that their number was decreasing some began to flee, leaving the Dark Lord furious and without as many allies. When the Dark Lord was turned screaming and threatening those fleeing, Harry shot the killing curse at him. _

_And of course this reporter interviewed Harry Potter himself who just stated that he didn't do it alone; he had his friends help him (he wished me to name them: Hermione Granger, Ginny and Ron Weasley). Most of the Death Eaters and followers of the Dark Lord have either been captured or have gone into hiding. Either way, it is safe for everyone to come out of their hiding places and enjoy life again! Praise to the Boy-Who-Lived-Again!_

_Rita Skeeter_

Harry dropped the Daily Prophet, sighing heavily. He was incredibly grateful it was all over but it took some time to capture Death Eaters and for people to realize the war had ended. Now, however, he was famous again and people would want to shake his hand and stare at his forehead. He supposed it could be worse. His friends also had some fame as well (which Ron enjoyed immensely). For being friends of the famous Harry Potter and witnessing many of the accounts (and helping out) many reporters had wanted to interview them as well. Ron, being his self, exaggerated some of the events like when they had gone to the Forbidden Forest in the quest to figure out the mystery behind the Chamber of Secrets. There hadn't been a zillion spiders the size of houses and he certainly hadn't bravely jumped in front of Harry to protect him from one. Still, the war was finally over and Harry could start being a normal wizard (for the most part). The only problem was that he didn't know where to begin. He honestly hadn't thought he would survive.

Waving his wand in the air, he saw it was almost noon. He was meeting Hermione and Ron for lunch at The Three Broomsticks (though Ginny was tagging along with her new boyfriend Darian Mockridge—son of Cuthbert Mockridge who was Head of the Goblin Liaison Office in the Ministry). Harry had the feeling she wanted to make him slightly jealous (since she had wanted to be Harry's first and probably still had some romantic feeling for him left) but she had agreed that they were over. As he walked inside, he saw that Hermione and Ron were already there.

"Hey," Harry said, sitting down.

Whispers sounded and eyes were upon him, but Harry easily ignored them. He was used to it by now. Ron smiled smugly, enjoying the fact that he was sharing the spotlight and had been interviewed several times. Hermione seemed indifferent about the whole thing and even put magical perimeters around her house that kept reporters unable to find the house.

"Oh Harry, how did you do on your N.E.W.T.s?" Hermione asked eagerly, leaning over toward him.

Shrugging, Harry responded: "Pretty good, I think. Not as good as you of course."

"Can I see?"

Staring at her anxious expression, Harry smiled knowingly and pulled out the sheet that congratulated him on graduating from Hogwarts and passing his N.E.W.T.s. She scanned the paper and nodded approvingly.

"Very good, Harry especially for having missed almost an entire year of school, due to saving the world and all."

"Well, we almost didn't have enough teachers. They all wanted to leave anyway," Ron grumbled. "Of course we had to get a new Potions teacher after Snape betrayed everyone, which I knew he would. She was better than him though."

"She wasn't quite as experienced as Professor Snape, however," Hermione criticized.

Ron blanched. "What? Hermione, how can you call him _professor_ Snape? He's a traitor! I'm glad he's in Azkaban!"

"He could get out though," Hermione said softly. "There's some evidence that he was on our side but pretending to be on Voldemort's."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe it."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know…Snape was always unreadable. He might have had no choice but to kill Dumbledore in order to prove his allegiance to Voldemort while still on our side. It's complicated I suppose. In any case, look there's Ginny and Darian."

Harry didn't even turn around, knowing they were walking in. He didn't want Ginny to think he wanted to turn around and stare at her like a jealous ex. He wasn't jealous and he just wished that things could go back to the way they used to be with her when they weren't dating. He really hoped Ginny hadn't told anyone about what they did in the Chamber of Secrets. His face was feeling hot just thinking about it; he wasn't turned on, but very embarrassed. He decided he would definitely kill himself if that got into the Daily Prophet.

"Hey guys!" Ginny chirped, settling her eyes on Harry.

Harry smiled at her politely then at Darian, who nodded awkwardly.

"We were just about to order. Would you two care to sit down?" Hermione offered.

Ginny shook her head, glancing at Harry from the corner of her eye. "No, we'll sit by ourselves. Oh, Harry, did you pass your N.E.W.T.s.?"

"He did! And with above average scores for most subjects," Hermione grinned.

Ginny gave a small smile and glanced at Harry who nodded in agreement but didn't respond. He could tell Ginny was disappointed by his reaction, but he didn't want to give her any motive to mistake his expressions for wanting to get back with her.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later," she smiled and dragged Darian to a separate table.

"I'm not sure I like him," Ron frowned. "Why didn't things work out with you and Ginny again?"

Harry stared back at him and gave him an annoyed look. "I told you already. It just didn't work out. Stop worrying about it. She'll find someone great one day."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yes, she will. And she seems to be alright—no tears or anything from your break-up. So it was obviously mutual."

Ron made a noise and then dropped it. "Yeah, well you know that kid Darian is really envious of you, Harry. He's always so jittery when your name comes up. I think he feels that he can't compete with you being her ex, you know."

Shrugging, Harry didn't respond. Thankfully, the waiter came over and they ordered their butterbeers and lunch. During lunch they talked about random things and finally Hermione brought up the question of the near future.

"What are your plans?" she asked both of them.

Ron just shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't know…Dad wants me to follow him in the Ministry. I guess I could, but I'd have to take an Auror class."

"Yes, well not to mention you just barely passed Defense Against the Dark Arts on your N.E.W.T.s," Hermione added, earning a glare from him. "I think I'm going to go to a wizard advanced education school."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"It's like the equivalent of college in the muggle world. You know, a continuation of magical studies. I've noticed that I'm interested in sorcery so I might concentrate on studying that," she smiled. "Wouldn't it be cool if I became the first woman sorceress in over two hundred years?"

"It would be," Harry smiled.

Ron shrugged carelessly, trying not to show he was envious that he didn't have it in him to become a sorcerer. "Yeah, but you'd have to study _everything_. I mean…it's just too much useless information. And then it basically takes your whole life to accomplish all types of magic."

Hermione frowned. "It's exciting, Ron. You get to learn every kind of magic out there and master most of them. It'll let me completely understand being a witch and knowing the history of magic as well. Plus with all the experience and broad education, I could do anything afterward."

"It sounds great, Hermione," Harry encouraged her.

She beamed at him. "So what are your plans Harry?"

"Don't know…I haven't thought about it. I mean, I couldn't really think beyond the war, you know," he shrugged.

Hermione nodded and Ron spoke up: "What about Quidditch? You love it, don't you? You should go into that. I mean, come on you were the first eleven year old Seeker in over a hundred years! Plus you almost won every single game Gryffindor played."

"Thanks," Harry said, fiddling with his napkin.

He glanced at Hermione and was surprised that she didn't seem opposed to the idea. "Actually, Harry, there are schools for Quidditch training too. In fact, there's a new very prestigious Quidditch school called the Q.A.O.S."

"What's that stand for?" Ron tilted his head in curiosity.

"The Quidditch Academy of Scotland," Hermione answered with a grin. "It's the top Quidditch school around, but it's private and limited to a small number of students. It's expensive to pay for and very challenging, plus you have to pass a test to get in, but if you really love Quidditch and you want to do it professionally that's the school you should go to!"

"Yeah, then you can play for the Chudley Cannons and help them get to the championships!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry raised an eyebrow and Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think even Harry can help them."

Ron glared at her and opened his mouth to retort, but Harry interrupted: "You really think I could get in?"

"Of course! You're bloody Harry Potter!" Ron raised his voice.

"Not so loud, Ron!" Harry shushed him, thankful that no one seemed to be staring anymore. "I guess I could apply. If I don't get in I can think of something else."

"Sure, you have loads of options," Hermione smiled. "And I think you have a much better chance of getting in, especially with you good Seeker records at Hogwarts. I'm certain Katie Bell or Oliver Wood would write you a recommendation to attach to the application! Or you could always be an Auror."

Harry crinkled his nose and shook his head. "I wouldn't like that. I've had enough of the Dark Arts and dealing with things like that. Quidditch sounds good though. Where do I get the application?"

"Don't worry I'll get it for you!" Hermione exclaimed. "And in the meantime, do some studying up on Quidditch and its history in case you have to take that test to get in. I'll owl it to you."

"Okay, thanks," Harry said.

"Just as long as Hedwig doesn't wake me up at seven in the morning like last time," Ron grumbled, referring to the fact that Harry was staying with the Weasleys.

He had no place else to go and the Dursleys were definitely not an option (not that they would allow him back since Dumbledore was dead and the war was over anyway). He was so happy to be rid of them. Lunch ended and Ginny stayed behind with her boyfriend, glancing briefly at Harry as they all said their goodbyes. Hermione promised to owl him as soon as possible and Harry and Ron then headed back toward the new house that Mr. Weasley purchased recently (thanks to his promotion for taking over things in the Order).

The only thing Harry dreaded was seeing Ginny there, especially since recently she liked to invite Darian over and find places to make-out where Harry might see them. Still, things were definitely looking up. Besides the random people approaching him on the street almost every day, Harry was finding himself very grateful to be alive. And now with the hope of going to a professional Quidditch Academy, things couldn't have looked any better.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	2. The Quidditch Academy

**Captivation**

**Chapter 1: The Quidditch Academy**

An owl from Hermione came to the Weasleys' house two days later addressed to Harry. It was breakfast time and Ginny of course was wearing her most prized nearly see-through pajama gown. Darian wasn't there thankfully but Harry still felt awkward sitting across from her. He had kept his eyes on his plate the whole time and only spoke when answering Ron's questions.

"Harry, this is for you," Molly smiled as she handed him a letter.

The owl on her shoulder hooted gleefully. Ron muttered something about it being better than a cat (referring to Crookshanks most likely). Harry opened it and saw it was the application to the Quidditch Academy.

"Looks complicated," Ron spoke over his shoulder. "You sure you want to apply for this?"

Glancing at his friend, Harry immediately knew what was going through his mind. The Quidditch Academy housed the individuals while in training. They took classes and practiced a lot which meant it would be like Hogwarts. Harry would only be coming back to the Weasleys on holidays or weekends that he could, which meant he would be there a lot less often. Truthfully, despite knowing Ron would be kind of bored and sad without him there much, he was glad to have a chance to get away from Ginny for a long period of time.

Since he was living there (helping out with chores and errands), it made it harder for Ginny to move on. It was probable she just asked out the first guy she met (Darian in this case) just to use him against Harry. If he went away for a while hopefully she'd get over him and stop trying to seduce him or make him jealous (neither was working and Harry knew the more frustrated she got the harder she tried).

"I'm sure," Harry said firmly, making sure Ginny heard him.

"What is that Harry?" Ginny asked curiously (although with a hint of suspicion).

"Harry's thinking about attending the Quidditch Academy of Scotland," Ron said.

A loud crash followed and immediately Arthur ran into the room.

"Did I hear that correctly? Harry, are you really applying for the Q.A.O.S.?"

"Er, yeah," he answered awkwardly.

"It's the most prestigious Quidditch school in the world!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "I heard their Quidditch field is the size of the one they use in the world championships! That's amazing! Why, we might even see you on one of the famous teams!"

Just like Ron, Mr. Weasley was obsessed with Quidditch almost as much as muggle items. Ron grumbled something and started picking at his plate. Obviously he was jealous that Harry was going to go into a profession that could possibly lead to more fame. After all, Quidditch was the number one sport in the wizard world. He wanted to comfort his friend, but also part of him wanted to be proud. After all, he had suffered his entire life, why shouldn't he get an opportunity like this? Ron had a new house, better clothes (because of more money coming in), he had graduated and was looking for a career possibly in the Ministry, not the mention he and Hermione had been mildly dating (they had started recently after graduating). His life was looking up but yet he still found reasons to be jealous of Harry.

Sure, Harry was incredibly famous, but he had gone through so many hardships. Even telling Ron about them didn't justify just how horrible they were, especially with losing Sirius (and then Dumbledore not too long after). A small part of Harry wanted to get away from his old ties and just start over. Of course he would always remain friends with Ron and his family, Hermione, Neville and his old friends at Hogwarts, but he really wanted to meet new people (people who hopefully wouldn't be so enamored with his fame that they'd just want to be friends with his scar).

Yes, Harry was absolutely sure he was going to go for this. Mr. Weasley started talking about how wonderful a Quidditch career would be and Harry became more and more excited. It would be hard work and it would take a few years to graduate from the school, but it would be well worth it, especially if he became a professional player.

"If you do well enough, Harry, you could earn enough money to retire by the time you're thirty. Then you could just do whatever you want to. Go on vacations, travel the world…anything! It's a perfect opportunity for you," Mr. Weasley grinned.

Harry smiled enthusiastically as Ron glared at his plate. "Thanks! It sounds like something I really want to do."

After breakfast, Harry immediately went up to Ron's room (which they shared just like at the old Weasley house) and began filling out the application. Ron came in moments later seemingly in a bad mood.

"You know that you'll have to stay there, right? I'll hardly see you!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry inwardly sighed and began scribbling an owl to Oliver Wood (since he was better known as a Quidditch captain compared to Katie Bell) for a letter of recommendation. Once he filled out the basics of the application, he signed the contract that if he was accepted he'd pay the down payment right away and the tuition no more than two weeks later.

"Look Ron, this is something that means a lot to me, alright?" Harry said sternly.

"Oh sure, so I'm not important anymore then," Ron shot back hotly.

Harry stood up and glared at him. "This isn't always about you!"

"No, it's always about the _famous_ Harry Potter, isn't it?" Ron retorted angrily.

Harry froze and clenched his jaw. Dropping his quill, he glared at his friend. "So that's how you think of me? Is that it? You've always just hung around me because of my scar? I guess we're not really friends then."

The facial expression on Ron's face turned from angry to apologetic. He sighed miserably and slumped onto his bed.

"It's just that…you get everything it seems, you know?"

"No, I don't Ron! I haven't been able to have a normal childhood or anything. I was abused, neglected, nearly murdered so many times! I've been through hell and back! Let me have something that I can be proud of—something that I really want for myself. I've never really done anything for myself before that didn't have to do with surviving some horrible event!" Harry snapped defensively. "I know you're upset I'm leaving. But can't you for once be happy for me? It's always about how you feel, or how you don't have enough of something. You haven't suffered nearly as much as I have! I never asked for fame or for my family to be murdered you know!"

"I know, I know," Ron murmured. "I'm sorry. I guess I'll just miss you, you know?"

Harry's muscles relaxed and he calmed down. He sat down next to him and nodded. "I understand, but you have Hermione here and I'll come back on holidays and some weekends. It's not like we won't ever see one another. Besides, aren't you the least bit sick of me?"

Cracking a smile, Ron nodded jokingly. "Alright, well…I hope you get in."

"Thanks," Harry smiled.

"Can I come in now?"

Harry and Ron both looked up to see Ginny standing there with arms crossed over her chest. She had obviously been standing there for some time listening to them. Harry got up and went to his own bed. Hedwig was munching on some food when Harry picked her up and offered her the letter. She flew out the window and Harry inwardly hoped that Oliver replied soon.

"So you're really planning to leave?" Ginny asked, staring at him.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it's what I want."

Licking her lips in thought, Ginny shrugged then nodded. "There could be a chance you don't get in though. What will you do if you don't?"

"Probably apply for another Quidditch school," Harry shrugged. "Hermione thinks I'll get in."

Ginny rolled her eyes a bit and then left the room. Ron glanced at him and shrugged.

"She's just upset, you know? No big deal. She'll get over it."

"Yeah," Harry said, though he wasn't so sure.

A couple hours later when Harry and Ron were in a game of wizard chess a reply came back from Oliver with a recommendation. Harry excitedly attached it to his application and sent Hedwig off to deliver it to the school. It seemed that Oliver was extremely happy to hear from him (perhaps because he was famous all over again) but either way he got the reply instantly. Ron seemed sincerely happy for him now.

"By the way, what are you going to wear?" Ron brought up a little while later.

Harry suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling building in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't thought about that. What were their dress codes? What nice clothing did teenagers wear nowadays? At Hogwarts he hadn't cared for his appearance, but now that the war was over he suddenly felt self-conscious. It brought him back to the time he had liked Cho and some of her friends had said "at least Cedric was cute." He hadn't let it bother him then and although he wasn't unattractive (from what Ginny often told him) he wanted a somewhat fresh look.

"Ron, if you don't mind I think I'm going to go owl Hermione to meet with her," Harry said, not answering his question.

Ron blinked in surprise. "How come?"

"Just to talk about the school. I won't be more than an hour, if she can meet with me."

Shrugging, Ron nodded and Harry owled her immediately. Hermione was the one person that could help him. She had become a very beautiful young lady, much like Ginny, and being a girl she'd know how to help him with his appearance. She owled him back almost twenty minutes later saying to meet her in Diagon Alley. Harry left immediately on his broom and waited for her to meet him.

"Harry!" she smiled as she approached.

"Hey, I have a favor," Harry said uncomfortably. "It's just that…I'm not sure what I should wear if I get into the school and…"

Hermione held up a hand in understanding. "You want help choosing clothes and stuff to pack, right?"

At Harry's nod, she smiled and gestured for him to follow. She took him to some rather inexpensive stores but ones that had nice styles (nothing too drastic). He got some new pants and shirts that Hermione mainly picked out for him (she had good tastes). He even bought some new boxers (and he was the one blushing when Hermione pointed some out).

"Now, are you really attached to your glasses?" Hermione asked, after an hour of shopping.

Harry shook his head and adjusted them. "No, they actually get in my way. And I think these aren't the right prescription."

Although they weren't the ugly horrifically large glasses his relatives gave him, they were a gift from Neville the last Christmas, they still bothered him. Hermione nodded in understanding.

"There is something you can do. There's an eye healing potion you can buy, but it's really, _really_ expensive. It was discovered in the past couple of years by the top wizard and witch doctors at St. Mungo's and although it can only cure eyesight for a week at a time, it's the closest to saving people from becoming blind. And if you keep drinking the potion you can see without glasses or anything. However, you'll have to buy a month's or so supply and then you'll have to keep buying it."

"That's alright, as long as I don't need these annoying things anymore," Harry touched his glasses.

Hermione nodded and brought him into a potion store. There he spoke with the owner who told him about the potion. It was expensive! However, once the owner saw the scar on his forehead the price had miraculously been cut down at least 25 percent. Harry bought a three-month supply (which Hermione gapped at) but thankfully the potions were fairly small and light to carry.

"Well, that's probably about all you need, Harry. Harry?" Hermione glanced over her shoulder.

Harry was staring wide-eyed in the window of a broom store. Hermione rolled her eyes and came over. He was staring at the newest edition of brooms—the Volare3000 imported from Italy (as the blinking sign indicated). It was absolutely gorgeous. It was a bronze colored wood—neatly polished and as the sign said nearly indestructible (it had charms and hexes permanently manufactured within it to avoid bludger damage and such). The end of it wasn't full of wiry broom bristles but silky flowing strands, like hair or something. It was a golden color as well. And it was faster than the Firebolt.

"Harry, look at the price on this thing! It's outrageous! Not to mention this is the only one available right now—the shipment of these isn't supposed to come out until winter time. Harry, are you listening?" Hermione poked his arm.

It was almost like he was hypnotized. Harry walked right into the store with Hermione yelling at him. The owner looked up as they came in and Harry pointed to the broom.

"Is that for sale?"

The man's eyebrows rose. "That is just the sample brought in. These editions won't be sold until after Christmas. They're brand new and very hard to make, which is why it's taking so long to perfect them. They're made from a combination of wood—Mahogany and Holly."

"And the end of it? What's that made out of?"

"Oh yes, specially made from Demiguise hair," the man smiled coyly. "Very fascinating. If the hair is mixed with herbs, not sure what kinds, it won't become invisible and in fact turns from grey to golden-yellow."

"Wait, isn't Demiguise hair used for Invisibility cloaks?" Harry's eyes widened.

"Yes, that's why the hair is dipped into herbs first to give it that silky smooth texture and color," the man replied. "But that isn't for sale. And it would be way out of your price range if it were. It's the only one out right now and it's just to show people what to expect."

"Please sir, I'll pay whatever you ask. It's just…I'm going to hopefully get into a Quidditch Academy and it'd be nice to have such a wonderful broom," Harry said hopefully.

The man's eyes brightened. "Really? Which Academy?"

"The Q.A.O.S.," Harry responded.

"And he's Harry Potter," Hermione interjected.

Harry sent her a mild glare but she just blinked up at him innocently. The man rubbed his chin in thought.

"Well, Harry Potter I can't very well just sell it to you."

"No, I understand. I'm not trying to get it because of my name. I really do love Quidditch," Harry said sincerely.

The man smiled. "I'll tell you what. If you get into the school, I just may be willing to sell it to you—for a hefty price though."

"Of course!" Harry agreed instantly. "If I get in I'll come back and show you."

Nodding, the man held out his hand and Harry took it firmly. "Agreed. And good luck, Mr. Potter," he smiled.

Harry thanked him graciously as Hermione dragged him out of the store. She then began scolding him after.

"Harry, do you know how much that's going to cost! It's at least going to be 682 galleons! That's almost equivalent to 5000 dollars! I know your parents left you a fortune, but…that's way too much!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You forget that Sirius willed his bank account to me too," Harry reminded her, not really wanting to bring up his Godfather.

Hermione shut her mouth instantly and nodded curtly. "That's right. He was pretty wealthy too since he was an heir to a large inheritance like you. I guess you do have two large inheritances. Just be careful how you spend it. I know you have a lot—heck probably just as much as the Malfoy family if not more, but you still need to be careful. Money is easily spent."

"I know. I haven't bought myself anything in a long time. Not since Sirius' death, except for books and stuff for school," Harry said quietly.

Hermione nodded and patted his arm. "That's good. At least you watch yourself. Some people end up in debt before they even realize it. But I'm sure you have more than enough to last you through the next fifty years of your life without work. Though I'm sure if you do get onto a professional Quidditch team you'll be paid handsomely."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, hopefully I'll get in."

"Don't worry so much. You know you can always try again too. If you really want that school in particular you can wait until the winter semester to try again and this time submit an application early. I'm certain it was late, that's all. So don't give up," she smiled.

"Thanks Hermione. And thanks for taking me shopping and helping me with clothes and stuff. I guess I'm not very good with fitting in."

"You're too hard on yourself. Fitting in isn't worth it if you don't feel good about yourself. You don't have to wear what other people are wearing. And it's not like you have the top fancy fashions now. You just have newer clothes that you feel comfortable in, which is what counts," she said, giving him another pat. "I guess we part here. If you do get in make sure to owl me at least once a month and visit as much as possible."

"I will," Harry said, giving her a small hug. "See you."

They parted and Harry headed back to the Weasleys. Ron eagerly looked through the things that he bought, but when Harry told him what broom he hopefully would get, his mouth dropped open.

"No bloody way! Harry, if you get that you _have_ to let me ride it!"

Smiling, Harry nodded. "I will."

Ron smiled then his head tilted curiously. "Is that Hedwig?"

Harry jumped up from his bed and opened the window. Hedwig came soaring toward him (too slowly in Harry's mind) and after giving her a pat he anxiously grabbed the letter.

"It's from the school," Harry gulped, visibly paling.

"Open it! And read it aloud!" Ron jumped on his bed.

"I can't! You open it!" Harry exclaimed, shoving it in his hands.

Ron opened his mouth then closed it. Finally, he nodded and tore open the letter. He unfolded the parchment and read it silently, which was not doing anything for Harry's nerves.

"Well?" Harry raised his voice anxiously.

Ron glanced up with a pale face and an unusual expression. "Harry…You got in!"

Harry had been holding his breath and even when the words came out he still couldn't believe it. His mouth dropped open and he snatched the letter away.

_Dear Harry Potter!_

_We have received your application (and your recommendation) and we are very pleased to tell you that you have been accepted! Since you signed the contract, however, we will need a down payment of 311 galleons, 2 sickles and 23 knuts (but we can extend the deadline for this if you need it). You have a room already saved and most books used at the school are already supplied as well. The term starts up in three days. Can't wait to meet you in person!_

_Q.A.O.S. President,_

_Niall C. Grunnion_

"I can't believe it! I…I might be able to get that broom now!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry, forget the broom for two seconds, you were just accepted to the most prestigious and expensive Quidditch school in the _entire_ wizard world!" Ron shouted. "This is amazing! I have to go tell mum and dad!"

Ron raced out of the room and left Harry standing there still staring at the parchment. Footsteps caused him to look up and he saw Ginny walking into the room with a somber expression etched in her features.

"So you got in?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Harry said, not really knowing what else to say.

"I guess I won't really be seeing much of you anymore," Ginny said softly, approaching even closer. "It's just like when I first heard about you in the papers and the first time I met you. You were so far away yet so close. I got to see you, got to read about you, but being close enough to touch you…"

"Ginny," Harry said, moving back as she reached out to touch his arm. "You have a boyfriend, Darian, remember?"

She snorted and gave a roll of her eyes. "He's just to distract me. And anyway, Harry, I've had a crush on you since I was ten! When I finally met you, my crush turned into infatuation by the time I was thirteen. I wanted you so bad. I wanted to kiss you and later I wanted to do other things with you. I couldn't stop thinking about you. And it was a miracle when you kissed me back at the end of our sixth year. Even though it seemed like I didn't have a crush on you, like when I started dating other people and didn't seem so shy around you, I still thought about you all the time," Ginny replied, staring at him intensely. "Even now, especially after—"

"Ginny, stop, please," Harry said quietly. "Look…I didn't really want to. You kind of forced it upon me. I'm not like other guys, as you know. And the reason why I kissed you sixth year, I don't know. You were one of my closest friends and I think I was extremely happy that I had survived thus far. I'm sorry I led you on. I'm really not good with expressing emotions or anything."

"But don't you want to have sex?" she asked quietly. "Even if we're not openly going out, we can still be intimate in secret."

Harry shook his head. "Ginny, I'm not like that. Perhaps most teenage boys would agree to that in an instant, especially since you're a very pretty girl, but because of the life I lived I grew up very fast. In fact, my hormones probably are still lying dormant. I never had a chance to act like a normal child or teenager so I'm not controlled by hormones or thoughts of doing…sexual things," he said awkwardly. "Look, you'll meet someone else whether at a job or if you decide to further your education like Hermione. And Darian seems like a nice kid too. But I just want to be friends, like before."

Ginny bit her lip and nodded with a sigh. "I just…I really wanted to be your first, Harry. Since I've loved you and thought about you since I was younger, I imagined what it would be like to give you the best experience of your life."

"That's…nice, but I'm not ready for that anyway," Harry said, thankfully not feeling the need to blush or stutter.

"I suppose you might meet someone at the school," Ginny said softly, after a moment's hesitation.

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps, I don't know. It's not the reason I'm going to the school."

"I'm sorry I'm acting so jealous and coming on so strongly. I just…it really makes me angry and upset to think of someone else having you the way I couldn't."

Harry really didn't know what to say to that. As if things couldn't get more awkward, someone cleared their throat and Harry's face burned as he saw Ron standing in the doorway. Ginny saw him too but didn't seem as concerned.

"Well, congratulations," Ginny said sounding reluctant. She glanced at him briefly before walking out.

Harry slumped onto his bed, pretending to read over the parchment as Ron came in. For a moment, Ron was silent and Harry could feel his eyes on him.

"Harry?"

Glancing up nervously, he stared at his friend who had a slightly worried expression.

"Did you and Ginny, um…?"

"No," Harry answered immediately, feeling his cheeks burn. "We didn't, Ron. She, um…she wanted to, but I told her I wasn't ready."

"Blimey," Ron breathed out, slumping on his own bed. "Is that why you two broke up?"

"Sort of," Harry shrugged.

"I guess she came on too strong. Mum always treats her like a little angel, like she's still young but I guess Ginny's not as innocent as she appears. Even Fred had said once when Bill and Charlie were visiting and Ginny was with her friends that they doubted she was still a virgin. I just thought they were trying to make a sick joke, but…I guess she really isn't that innocent. It's just weird thinking about my sister doing those kinds of things," Ron crinkled his nose. "Are you still a virgin?"

Harry felt his throat constrict in partial embarrassment. "It's not like I had a lot time to deal with hormones or girls, Ron."

"Oh, right," he answered. "Sorry. In all honesty though, Harry, being since you'll be eighteen in just eight days I think you should get laid while you're there."

Harry raised his eyebrows in amusement and Ron grinned cheekily. The two of them burst into laughter seconds later and it made him feel much better.

"Well, you better go and see if you can get that broom," Ron smiled.

"Oh yeah! Bloody hell, I almost forgot!" Harry jumped up. "See you later."

Harry raced over on his Firebolt to the store and was grateful it hadn't closed yet. He ran in and saw the owner was beginning to pack up some things, probably to get ready to close. He turned and when he saw Harry he grinned knowingly.

"Let me guess, you got in and you're here to make a deal," the man grinned.

Harry nodded firmly and approached the counter. He showed the man his acceptance letter. "Yeah, but…I didn't stop at Gringotts to pull out any money so I don't have it with me."

The man chuckled. "That's not the only way to pay for things, Mr. Potter. Do you think that people carry with them huge loads of money when buying expensive items? They just sign a magical contract when purchasing an item and Gringotts is then owled and the money is pulled from their account."

Harry's stomach churned with excitement. "So can I buy it?"

"You really have tons of money to spend?" the man asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well…erm, yeah but I'm not wasting my money or anything. This is very important to me. Quidditch is my life, well…as much of my life as it was possible in the past. And now that I have a chance to be surrounded by it and play professionally, it's…," Harry trailed off, not knowing how to describe the feeling he had.

"It's a dream," the man finished knowingly.

Harry nodded eagerly and the man grinned, rubbing his chin again. "Alright. I can sell it to you for 2146 galleons, 11 sickles and 19 knuts."

Harry nearly choked. That was equivalent to 10,350 US dollars or 15,370.27 Euros. He could afford it, but that was more than he was willing to spend. Remembering what Hermione had guessed, he decided to try and bargain with the man.

"How about 682 galleons?" Harry offered.

The man's lips curled. "1227 galleons, 14 sickles and 3 knuts."

It was still too much. Harry decided perhaps if he could get the man to at least bargain closer to 682 galleons.

"I'll pay 1000 galleons," Harry said.

The man clucked his tongue and Harry waited in an anxious silence. He thought the man wasn't going to agree until he saw him pull out a piece of parchment.

"I suppose that will do," he smiled. "After all, I'm sure you of all people deserve such a treasure."

Harry flushed with gratitude. "Thanks."

The parchment was the contract for the Volare3000, which he signed in order to agree to have the money taken from his account. Although it was expensive, Harry wasn't one to shop consistently or buy much of anything besides necessities. So it was alright for him to spend a lot once in a while (as long as it didn't become a habit).

"This should last you a good twenty to fifty years," the man grinned and winked. "And you can also purchase kits to help keep its shine and glamour, but I'll put one in for free."

"Thanks so much!" Harry exclaimed.

The man chuckled and nodded. "I understand perfectly. Now, take good care of it. I'll wrap it up for you but I suggest you shrink it down and put it in your pocket for safe keeping. If anyone sees you walking around with it they'll probably try and steal it. Although, I'm sure you're an expert at defending yourself," he added.

"I'll take your advice," Harry said, glancing down awkwardly.

The man wrapped up the new broom and used an illusion charm to produce an image of it so people could still view it in the window. Then Harry shrank it down and placed it in his pocket very carefully, along with the kit.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Potter," he smiled brightly.

"You too. Oh and just call me Harry," Harry responded with a smile. "Thanks again."

The man waved to him as he left and Harry soared on his Firebolt back to the Weasleys more excited than he had been in the longest time. He couldn't wait to try it out. When he arrived back at the house Fred, George and Ron were waiting eagerly to see it. Harry pulled it out to show them but wouldn't let anyone ride it. He wanted to wait until he was at the Quidditch Academy. Ginny didn't join in—she apparently confined herself to her room. Although Harry felt a little bad that she was taking it hard, he didn't feel guilty. After all, she had made him uncomfortable and tried to force herself upon him. That night, Harry went immediately to sleep dreaming about flying his new broom.

The next morning he went to Gringotts and pulled out the down payment for the school. He then owled it to them and began packing his trunk full of his new clothes, items, shrunken down Volare3000 (which he added extra protections to in case anyone tried to steal it at the Academy), some old Quidditch books, his kit, vision-healing potions, parchment and quill along with several other items.

He had taken off his glasses and thrown them in his trunk (hoping to never have to use them again) and then drank one of the potions. Hermione had bought him some magical gel to tame his hair, which worked wonders. It didn't look all shaggy and now could be combed. His bangs fell nicely right above his eyes, which stood out much more since he took his glasses off. He wore his new pair of nicely-fitted jeans (not the huge Dudley-sized ones or the too-small worn-out ones he had had). And a nice black tee-shirt that had cuffs at the wrists and opened just a little at the top of his chest. He looked rather nice, he admitted.

"Hey look, there's Hedwig!" Ron exclaimed, pulling up his pants.

Harry glanced out the window and noticed she was carrying a package. She dropped it on the bed and upon opening it he saw it was a robe with the school's crest and name upon it.

"Wow…look at that," Ron gasped.

The robe was a velvet material (that apparently Ron said was very rare and expensive for it could keep one warm in the winter and suddenly be cooler in the summer), silver in color and when Harry put it on it grew to his length. The crest was a square with a white X in the center (the Scotland Satire flag) and then in cursive the initials _Q.A.O.S. _sewn in shiny silver letters spread out across the square.

"I guess it's time to go," Harry said, turning to his friend.

Ron's smile faded and he nodded glumly. "Yeah…do you have to leave now?"

"Well, the term starts in just two days and I want to get there so I can be shown around a little and get settled. Don't worry, I'll owl you by tomorrow and let you know how everything is, you and Hermione and everyone, and I'll try and visit this coming weekend," Harry compromised.

Sighing, Ron finally gave in. "Alright. Don't forget to owl me. And tell me about the girls there!"

Laughing, Harry agreed and shrank his trunk to fit in his pocket. Then he got out his Firebolt. Molly gave him a huge hug while Ron just patted his back. Ginny just smiled weakly but didn't move to embrace him. Harry waved to them and took off toward the school. Hedwig would already be there since he sent out the down payment. He was excited, but nervous too. What would the school be like? Would he meet friends right away?

The beautifully modern, castle-styled Academy came into view and Harry felt his throat constrict. He was getting more nervous by the minute. He hoped that he would fit in and not be hated or stalked because of his fame. Once he landed, he nervously wiped his clammy hands on the new robe and shrank his Firebolt, dropping it in his pocket. Then he entered through the large entrance doors. The note that came with the robe had stated that he go to the president's office (president was apparently a more formal title for a headmaster of sorts).

The office was right on the first floor and so far Harry hadn't bumped into any other students there. He knocked on the door and he heard some fumbling around. It opened and a tall, quirky-looking man opened it. Upon seeing Harry, his eyes widened and he broke out in a grin.

"Harry Potter! It is such a pleasure to meet you. I just received your down payment. You're wonderfully punctual aren't you? Come in," he gestured.

Harry was overwhelmed but he managed to hide it. He was offered a cushioned chair and the man sat behind his desk.

"The summer term just ended a few weeks ago and so you're right on time for the early fall," he smiled. "We start earlier than most schools for fall term, as you can tell since it's still summer. However, there are rules and guidelines to this Academy. And I'm afraid the only long break you get is over Christmas. Otherwise like for New Year's you only get a couple days off. And the classes are rather challenging, but that's why this is the most prestigious school," he grinned.

"Oh, I'm Niall Grunnion, but just call me Niall. I don't like it when people are so formal. I see you got your robe," he smiled, glancing at it. "There are some other simple rules you should know about before I show you around a bit. Curfew is at midnight, no one should be walking around the halls afterward. And no skipping class unless you're ill or there's a very legitimate excuse. We're not all work though, so don't feel intimidated. We have parties, especially after winning Quidditch matches against other teams."

"You mean professional teams?" Harry asked, feeling a bit nauseous.

"Oh heavens no," Niall chuckled. "We're working up to that. This Academy is designed to help you get ready for playing on professional teams, but we don't compete against them. The professional teams only compete nationally at championships. But there are other Quidditch schools out there and we compete against them. And so far we're undefeated for four years straight. We want to win this year, well just like every year, to make our fifth victory! Every five years, we agreed, we would have the hugest parties and invite other schools as well. However, that's only if we reach five."

"How come?"

"Well that's just what me and the presidents of the three other schools agreed on. We joke sometimes and although they want to crush us they're good mates. They play fair, obviously because any cheating or fouls or anything gets students kicked out. So anyway, the other presidents made a deal that if we win for the fifth year in a row all the schools would combine and throw a huge celebration," he grinned. "So that's another reason why I'm so glad you're here! Oliver Wood just couldn't stop complimenting you in his recommendation. He said that you won almost all the Gryffindor games for them."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't do it alone. It was a team thing."

"Of course Harry, but don't sell yourself short either," Niall said, pointing a finger. "Well, shall I show you around?"

"Sure," Harry answered, hurrying to stand up.

Niall led him into the hall and explained things as they passed. "Everyone meets in the dining hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast ends at eleven so if you miss it you'll just have to deal with the plain snacks in the common rooms. Lunch starts at one exactly and ends at three. Classes resume until eight for dinner and then dinner can go as late as eleven at night. There's always food around. I'm sure that's where most students are right now, since it's dinner time. And you can practice your Quidditch skills anytime as well. The field is big enough for everyone," he winked.

"There are five floors. The first one has the dining hall, my office, the school library, bathrooms and a Quidditch supply room. The second and third floors are all class-occupied. So, all of your classes will be spread out between the two floors. And the fourth and fifth floors are entirely full of dorm rooms and the common rooms. You won't have to share a room, however. How it works is that there are groups that we put together. So because we only accept at most 350 students here there are fifty groups of seven. For example, you have been placed in the Gold Common Room, which is in the West Hall of the fifth floor. There is a flight of stairs that leads up to the seven quarters of that group.

"So you will have a small group of people you'll be seeing regularly by your room. There are fifty common rooms, 25 on each the fourth and fifth floors, with separate quarters for everyone. However, the Quidditch chambers only have communal showers. So there aren't showers in your room or the commons. There's a toilet hidden behind a painting in each common room, in case you or someone needs to go in the middle of the night, but otherwise the communal showers are the only ones. Now don't worry—there are two different Quidditch chambers, one for girls and one for boys. And because everyone has their own separate quarters to sleep in, the Common Room groups are a mixture of genders, for the most part. But it's not like you have to share a room with a girl or anything," he grinned.

Harry nodded, a bit overwhelmed by all the information.

"You will receive your class schedule very shortly. It'll be sent to your room. And I'm afraid newbies have to take mostly required classes so they can't choose. But once the winter semester starts you can have a choice of some classes. Of course there are requirements for graduating in any school. Anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here and you will be an expert Quidditch player too! If you have any questions though, feel free to come to my office. Ah, here's your common room."

The gold painting moved aside to reveal a door (that apparently didn't need to be password protected, since the school wasn't divided into houses like Hogwarts). Everyone was the same in this school and Harry liked that fact. The whole common room was painted gold (hence its name). It was much larger than the Hogwart's common room because there were ten times less students so there was more space.

"Well, I'll leave you here to look around. Your room is G3 up the stairs. You are permitted to put locking charms on your door or keep it password protected—your choice. And don't worry about finding your way around the school for your classes. I'm sure you'll meet some friends soon enough who will help you and there are also hall patrols that will guide you. This is a very safe place but if you have any problems, like items get stolen come directly to me. I don't take that lightly at all. We like to keep up a high, clean reputation here," he gave another smile. "Go ahead and get settled. I'll probably see you at dinner."

"Thank you," Harry said.

"You're quite welcome," Niall smiled back.

Harry watched him go and then took his time looking around. There were four couches (golden colored) some coffee tables, studying desks, a fireplace, some cushioned chairs and a small shelf full of books. It was rather homey. He went upstairs to his room and saw that his room was between G2 and G4. It was a small square-like hall and all the seven rooms were lined up next to one another on each of the three walls. Harry's was straight ahead so he walked in. It was much more spacious looking than the Hogwart's dorms (perhaps because it only had one queen-sized bed, a bureau and a nice desk in it.

He placed his trunk at the foot of the bed and made sure to seal it with charms. He had to protect his new broom at all costs. The bed was comfortable with golden silk sheets. Once he placed his things away, he left the common room and went out into the hall. Since most everyone else was at dinner he decided he should probably go down and eat as well. Taking in a nervous breath, he began heading toward the stairs. He stopped momentarily to take a look at some of the paintings, wondering if perhaps there were some secret passages in the Academy.

"Well, well, so the rumor I just heard is true. Harry Potter has come."

Freezing on instinct, Harry didn't move for a second. He knew that voice; it sounded oddly familiar and gave him an uncomfortable feeling. Not wanting the boy to think he was intimidated, Harry turned around and nearly screamed aloud. Draco Malfoy was standing before him dressed in tight dark jeans with a dressy (and silky) silver shirt. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his blonde hair wasn't slicked back like it had been at Hogwarts. It was short in the back but his bangs were somewhat long in the front, ghosting above his eyes almost like Harry's. The silver-grey eyes were narrowed at him and his expression was cold.

"Malfoy," Harry managed to spit out, "what are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking that question, Potter," he responded. "I should've known you would want to come to the most prestigious Quidditch school around. Unlike you, however, I got in based on skill."

"So did I! I gave them a recommendation letter from Wood!" Harry snapped defensively.

Draco's lips curled into a sneer. "You think they read it? Not for the _famous_ Harry Potter."

"You're just upset because your dad's in Azkaban!" Harry shot back, clenching his fists.

Malfoy had approached him so quickly Harry hadn't had time to react. Malfoy gripped his arms roughly through his robe and pushed him up against the wall glaring harshly. He was so close that Harry caught a whiff of his cologne. Malfoy's hands had his arms pinned and Harry was in too much shock to use his legs to kick him away.

"Don't patronize me Potter!" he snarled. "Why don't you just keep yourself and your famous scar out of my face," he snapped, glancing at Harry's forehead briefly.

With that, Malfoy released him and wheeled around, disappearing back down the stairs. All of Harry's happy feelings about the school crashed and burned. Sure, it was a wonderful place but it was much smaller than Hogwarts, which meant he couldn't possibly avoid seeing Draco Malfoy.

"Why does this always happen?" Harry whispered harshly.

Just when he thought his life was finally looking up, this had to happen. He scowled but decided he wouldn't let Malfoy ruin his fresh start. He could just ignore him and go on with his life. Gaining some confidence, to rub in Malfoy's face, Harry went down the flights of stairs and entered the dining hall. Many heads turned and some mouths dropped open. He saw Malfoy sitting with a group of people and noticed Malfoy scowling darkly when he saw the reaction he was receiving.

"Hi, may I sit here?" Harry asked, approaching one of the tables.

"Sure mate," one boy said with a thick Scottish accent.

The two boys moved apart and some nearby girls smiled at him. Harry just smiled in return, feeling a bit smug for not letting Malfoy get to him. Hopefully, Malfoy wouldn't be a big problem.

TO BE CONTINUED…

_Author's Note:_ Have no fear! The yummy-ness is going to start building up now! I should hopefully have the next chapter up in one to two days. And from here on out the story will focus entirely on Harry and Draco. Glad you're all enjoying it so far! Thanks for the support (especially since this is my first HP slash fic, as I mentioned earlier).

To Reviewers: 

**I'm Me for A Reason: **Thank you! I'm so glad you like it so far! Don't worry, from here on out the story will surround Harry and Draco. I will try and update this within one to two days!

**Naughty-Kitten: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you like the plot so far! I promise it'll thicken and everyone will get their Harry/Draco appetites filled. It'll begin building up starting next chapter!

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Thanks! Yeah, I figure that's the most realistic, going back in time and all. Don't worry the Draco/Harry-ness will begin building up starting next chapter. I hope to update in one to two days!

**Lollylover: **Thank you! I will update hopefully in one to two days:-)


	3. Midnight Fiesta

Captivation

**Captivation**

Author's Note: To get an idea of how I picture what Draco and Harry look like, the closest thing I found was from a comic called Tactics (H/D). Essentially just imagine Harry without his glasses and for the most part that's how I pictured Draco (though I imagined him with a more roundish-handsome face). Some day I'll post the artwork and scenes from some of my stories that I've done, but I only have so much time right now. The cover can be viewed on my old site (just _delete the spaces_): **(no www, just the http: / ) s m g . p h o t o b u c k e t . c o m / a l b u m s / v 2 9 5 / s w e e t c a n d y p o t t e r (underscore) 0 4 / **

**Chapter 2**: **Midnight Fiesta**

The dinner wasn't so bad—in fact, Harry forgot all about Malfoy as he was introduced to the small group at the table. The one boy who had spoken first was Tavis and his friends were Liam, Ambreen, Ellion, among others. Harry discovered Tavis and Ambreen were in the same common room as he was.

"So, Harry Potter, what brings you here?" Tavis asked, smiling.

Harry responded after he swallowed his bite of chicken. "I love Quidditch. And apparently from what my former captain told me, I've got some talent. Thought perhaps I could concentrate on it."

"Cool. I've been here for about two years now," Tavis answered. "I hope to become a member of the Germany Quidditch team."

"They're undefeated right?" Harry questioned uncertainly.

"Yeah, for the last bloody three years!" Liam exclaimed.

Harry laughed with them and felt much more relaxed. He had been so afraid he wouldn't meet people who would treat him normally, but these boys (and the girl Ambreen) seemed very nice.

"So Harry," Ambreen smiled, after having been in a deep conversation with another girl. "My friend Dahlia wants your autograph."

Blushing, Harry shrugged with a small smile. "Sure."

"How does it feel to be a celebrity?" Tavis winked.

"Erm, actually not that great. People stare at my forehead as if I've got another eye growing out of it."

The group around him laughed and Harry didn't feel so awkward about signing a picture of himself from the Daily Prophet. Ambreen smiled and leaned backward to hand it to her friend, Dahlia who was blushing brightly. The rest of dinner fell into talk about Quidditch and which professional teams were the best. After dinner, Harry walked with Tavis and a couple of his friends toward the Gold Common Room. Once there he saw several other people—two girls and three other boys sitting there chatting.

"Hey gang, this is Harry Potter," Tavis introduced.

Harry felt very awkward at the stares he received but no one particularly treated him like Colin Creevey (or Malfoy for that matter).

"Harry, you should come to the party tonight!" one of the other boys, Nicholas, said.

"A party?" Harry asked, trying to hide his uncertainty. Hogwart's had never really had parties—just the Yule Ball. He wasn't sure what to expect from them and he certainly didn't want to be humiliated.

"It starts at midnight," Tavis continued. "It's down on the fourth floor and it's basically an end-of-the-summer party. Want to come? It's a great way to meet more people."

Not wanting to be isolated, Harry decided he should just go. Sooner or later he'd get accustomed to parties and he'd feel much better. Plus, he did want to meet other people.

"Sure, it sounds fun," Harry smiled.

"Oh they're loads of fun!" Ambreen grinned. "Especially the parties we have near Christmas!"

"Great!" Tavis grinned, pulling Harry aside. "I think she likes you."

Harry felt his insides squirm. "Who?"

"Ambreen. She and I dated last year, but I can tell she likes you," he winked. "You know," he whispered, bending down to Harry's ear, "she's great at giving blow-jobs."

To hide his embarrassment, Harry raised his eyebrows wordlessly. Tavis just grinned in response.

"I'm serious," he responded. "You know how most girls just suck on you like a simple lollipop?"

Feeling uncomfortable because of his lack of experience, Harry tried not to flush red.

"Yeah," Harry responded, grateful that everyone else in the room was distracted in their own conversations.

"Well she does something incredibly unique…not sure how to explain it exactly," he pursed his lips. "It's like she inhales it to the back of her throat then uses her tongue to push up while she sucks really hard. The combination is unbelievable! Anyway, if you're interested in her I wouldn't mind hooking you two up."

Harry shrugged. "I'm not really one to jump right into dating people or anything. I like to get to know them pretty well."

Tavis smiled and patted his back. "I understand. Just wanted you to know she's single and she and I are just friends so don't be shy! Now, about this party. You probably won't want to wear your school robes. What have you got on underneath?"

Harry slipped off the robe and Tavis nodded. "Oh yeah, that's fine. Some people come way too dressed up, you know?"

Suddenly, Harry was reminded of Draco Malfoy. "Say, do you know Malfoy?"

"The blond kid? Sure, I know him. He's been here for about a few weeks now. Why, you know him?"

"Yeah, we used to go to Hogwarts together. We didn't exactly get along," Harry said dryly. "I just bumped into him a little while ago actually."

"Don't worry about him. He can be a prick at times but he hasn't caused any trouble," Tavis said, much to Harry's disbelief. "Oh! I have to go talk to some friends and decide how we're going to sneak the drinks in. I'll walk with you to the party so you don't get lost."

"Thanks," Harry nodded as Tavis gave him a wave and walked away.

Sighing heavily, Harry went to go put his robe away. He really hoped Malfoy wouldn't be at the party. He wasn't in the mood to deal with him. Surprisingly, no one seemed to treat Malfoy like a former Death Eater or anything. Apparently, his name hadn't been tarnished by his father being in Azkaban and charged with murder. Probably because Draco didn't seem much like his father, no one really saw they were related. Although Draco didn't appear to have actually killed anyone, Harry wasn't about to trust him.

A few hours later, it was close to midnight. Harry was just coming down from his room (he had gone in it to make sure he looked presentable). Tavis, Ambreen, Nicholas and a few others were heading out and Harry tagged along with them. They were apparently heading toward the Jade Common Room on the fourth floor. That's where Liam and his friends were hosting the party. From what Harry learned, each common room had its turn to host a party. Even though Harry had never been a party in his life, he was looking forward to seeing how it was.

There were a lot more people there than Harry thought, being since it had just started. Harry was introduced to many different people. Some seemed ecstatic to meet him and others shook his hand politely. A couple girls had stared at him, smiling as if they wanted him to approach them but both reminded him too much of Ginny (and that gave him a slightly queasy feeling). Twenty minutes or so later, after Harry had been dragged around by Tavis and introduced to most everyone, he heard his name being called.

"Harry! Hey Harry, over here!"

He turned and saw Liam waving his hand by a small group of boys. Tavis came along with him toward the group.

"Hey we were about to start a game of Entranced or Cursed!"

Tavis grinned. "Good, I'll go get some drinks!"

"Harry, this is Danny, Ralmic, Blake and—"

"We're already acquainted," a cool voice drawled.

Harry's stomach flipped and he glanced to his right to see Malfoy sitting languidly on the floor holding a glass bottle. With a sneer, Malfoy's eyes narrowed a bit. Harry turned away quickly, not wanting to start anything in front of the others. Liam didn't seem to notice his unease.

"What's the game?" Harry asked curiously.

"Oh you've never played? It's bloody awesome!" Blake exclaimed, his sandy-colored hair flowing all over the place. He had long hair for a boy, about shoulder-length and bright blue eyes.

"Everyone sits in a circle and we decide who goes first by birthdays. You either use your wand to randomly pick a victim or just choose someone. Then they choose whether to be entranced or cursed. Entranced means that they have to reveal the truth about a dark secret or a question of the person's choosing. If they try to lie or don't answer they'll get hexed."

"How do you know if someone's telling the truth?" Harry asked.

Liam let out a laugh. "That's easy. If you choose entranced then you have to take a small bit of Veritaserum—it lasts no more than five minutes. And cursed, well there are two types: an unforgivable or a hex. You're not actually cast with one, it's a choice. The unforgivable is the choice that you will be asked to do something outrageously daring and a hex is less extreme."

It was almost like the muggle version of truth or dare (from what Dudley had bragged about one night), Harry realized.

"You in Harry?" Liam asked.

Harry opened his mouth but another person spoke up dryly. "This might be too much for him on his first night," Malfoy drawled, taking a gulp of his drink.

He had almost forgotten Malfoy was there. If his rival was going to play, Harry wasn't so sure he wanted to. Then again, at least there were options to the game and it could be fun. He didn't want to miss out on anything because of Draco.

"Sure, I'll play," Harry answered, not glancing at Draco.

"Here are the drinks!" Tavis exclaimed, plopping three six-packed bottles on the floor.

"Excellent!" Liam grinned. "Now, let's see if we can get any girls to play. HEY AMBREEN! You girls want to play Entranced or Cursed?" he shouted.

The girls turned and Ambreen shook her head with a smile. "Not tonight, Liam. You boys have your fun!"

"Ah well," Blake shrugged. "Let them miss out."

"Here Harry," Tavis said, handing him a bottle.

"Thanks," he responded, not knowing what it was but he wasn't about to show that when Malfoy was there.

Harry sat down in the circle by Liam and Tavis sat next to him. There was a group of eight of them. Next to Tavis were Nicholas then Malfoy then Blake, Ralmic and Danny (who sat next to Liam on his left). Harry opened the bottle and took a swig. It filled him with a warm feeling immediately. He realized it was butterbeer, although not the same butterbeer he had had in the past; it had a certain zing to it.

"This is good," Harry said, glancing at Tavis.

"Oh yeah, this stuff's the best! It's butterbeer with a shot of Firewhiskey. I could get drunk off this stuff every night!" he announced happily.

Smiling, Harry took another gulp.

"So, you playing Draco?" Liam asked.

Harry again almost forgot the blond was there. Thankfully he hadn't been saying any snide comments thus far. Glancing at him, Harry saw that Draco had leaned up against the wall between Nicholas and Blake and had finished off the bottle he had earlier.

"I haven't anything better to do," Draco drawled with a small smirk. "Hand me another Tavis."

"Right-o," Tavis grinned, passing a bottle to the blond.

Draco caught Harry's eye, sneered and popped the bottle open. He took a long swig of it, tossing his head back so that his bangs swayed away from his eyes. Harry glared, sensing that Draco probably thought he'd humiliate himself since he had never played the game before.

"Alright, now whose birthday is the closest?" Liam asked. "Whosever is closest will get to choose a victim first. Alright, when's your birthday Danny?" he glanced to his left.

"It was in May," he said glumly.

"Ralmic?" Liam questioned the next boy.

"January."

"August 15th," Blake said smugly, obviously thinking he was the closest.

"June," Malfoy answered nonchalantly, taking another swig.

"Mine too, on the twentieth," Nicholas replied. "When's yours Malfoy?"

Malfoy swallowed and leaned back, propping a leg up. "The fifth."

"Mine's in November," Tavis answered.

All eyes turned to Harry who smiled. "July 31st."

"Ah shit!" Liam exclaimed. "You won, Harry. Mine was August 3rd! Thought I was going to rub it in Blake's face!"

"No such luck!" Blake made a face.

"Alright, Harry, who's your victim?"

"Erm…," Harry trailed off in thought. A part of him really wanted to choose Malfoy to try and humiliate him, but what if he chose entranced? Harry had no real questions…except for wondering if he had the Dark Mark, but that didn't seem appropriate to ask. Plus, he didn't want Malfoy to think he was special or that he was getting to him so he chose someone else. "Nicholas."

"Bloody hell! Of course it's me. Um, I choose cursed; a hex."

Groans went around the room and Harry thought of something not too extreme. Suddenly, he smiled remembering that before he had left the Weasleys Ron had given him some of Fred and George's joke-shop sweets—their newest inventions apparently.

"Why's he smiling like that?" Nicholas questioned uneasily.

"He's plotting your death," Liam joked.

The boys all stared at Harry, waiting anxiously. Malfoy remained silent not bothering to say anything.

"I dare you to eat this," Harry said, summoning a hot pink taffy.

Nicholas eyed it suspiciously. "It isn't poisonous is it?"

Harry gave him an amused look. "What would be the fun in killing you? Come on."

He handed it to him and Nicholas eyed it and sniffed it. "Doesn't smell bad. Well, I suppose eating candy is a pretty good dare."

Nicholas popped it into his mouth and chewed it up. Blake spit out his butterbeer drink and burst into hysterical laughter. The others followed as well (except for Draco who just looked on with an unreadable expression).

"What? What is it?" Nicholas asked. Then he glanced down at himself. "OH MY GOD!" he screeched, his voice suddenly sounding feminine. "I'M A WOMAN!"

His body had completely morphed. Not only was he a woman, but he was a nude woman. His floppy breasts hung down in front of him as his hair grew long and frizzed out until it was curly and pink. All the boys were soon turning blue with laughter.

"Harry, you're so scandalous!" Nicholas gasped, fluttering his eyes to put on a girly show.

Joining the others, Harry began laughing and thoroughly enjoying the prank. He hadn't expected that to happen, but it was hilarious.

"Come Harry, let's make love!" Nicholas cooed in a high-pitched voice, grabbing his womanly breasts.

Harry laughed even harder and a couple of the girls glanced over their shoulders at the commotion.

"GIRLS! Don't come over here! I'm naked!" Nicholas screeched.

The laughter continued and soon Tavis had tears streaming down his face. Finally, they all began to settle down.

"How long does this last Harry?" Nicholas squeaked.

"Probably about five more minutes," Harry managed to get out through laughs.

Blake, whose face had turned bright red from laughing, grinned and pointed at him. "Geez Potter, that was pretty outrageous!"

"If you think that was daring, then be glad he didn't choose the unforgivable," Harry said, grinning.

"Uh oh, I think Harry's already starting to get way too good at this," Liam joked.

Malfoy just ignored the whole conversation; he drank more of his butterbeer and didn't offer his opinion on what happened. Harry really wanted to punch him in the face just because he was certain Malfoy thought it was funny, but just to spite him he hadn't laughed at all.

"That was great! Here, Harry," Tavis said, handing him another alcoholic butterbeer.

He hadn't even realized he had finished his first one. Grinning widely, Harry took it feeling much more content than he had in a long time.

"Alright Nicholas, you get to choose the next victim!" Liam grinned.

Nicholas looked around and finally his eyes landed on Malfoy. "Draco, I choose you as my victim!"

Draco shrugged carelessly. "I'll choose an unforgivable."

Harry wanted to roll his eyes but instead settled for gulping down more of his drink. Nicholas' face broke out in an evil smirk—this was going to be good.

"I dare you to," he paused for dramatic emphasis, "French kiss Potter!"

Harry spit his drink out, choking in the process. The other boys laughed at his reaction.

"You can't be serious!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hey, payback!" Nicholas grinned. "Alright, Draco, get to it."

Without hesitation, Draco stood up and approached him. Harry sat dumbstruck as he suddenly knelt down in front of him. Roughly, Draco grasped Harry's shirt and jerked him forward. The move was so unexpected that Harry couldn't do anything to prepare himself. Draco's lips crushed against his own and Harry's eyes snapped closed out of reaction. Perhaps through his mildly drunken haze he was still trying to figure out what was going on.

Draco moved his lips over Harry's desperately and passionately. The kiss was warm and the taste of butterbeer was in both their mouths. Harry momentarily forgot who he was kissing in the first place. He was entranced by the way his lips were caressed by another smooth mouth and how deeply passionate it was. It wasn't anything like the kisses he had with Ginny in the past. This made his stomach flutter with a foreign sensation.

Without warning, a tongue slipped into his mouth. If Harry hadn't been intoxicated his reaction time would've been better and he would have jerked away. However, as the tongue invaded his mouth, Harry could only allow it. Instinctively, his own tongue lashed out and ghosted across Draco's. The feeling of the smooth, hot tongues caressing together nearly caused Harry to moan aloud. Thankfully he was saved this embarrassment for Draco pulled away before the sound escaped. Harry's eyes snapped open and he sat back once more trying not to look stunned. The other boys were whistling and making jokes.

"That was hot!"

"I think I'm hard now!"

Harry glanced at Draco to see that he had a smug look on his face. He obviously had grabbed Harry roughly on purpose for dramatic show to try and beat Harry's own prank. Draco took another swig of his drink, leaning back against the wall confidently. There was no way Harry was going to show that he had enjoyed it or that it was his first French kiss.

For the next half hour, Harry couldn't look in Draco's direction. He distracted himself with laughing at the other idiotic things the other boys did and the butterbeer drinks. However, his turn soon came around. Tavis had just finished performing a lap-dance for Blake and had chosen Harry. For a minute, Harry had to think (for his brain was feeling a bit fuzzy) but he was certain he didn't want to choose entranced. If Tavis decided to question his virginity or anything he'd be embarrassed in front of the others.

"Cursed," Harry answered after a minute.

"Which one?" Tavis raised his eyebrows.

"Unforgivable," Nicholas nudged him playfully.

"Come on Harry!" Liam urged.

Rolling his eyes, Harry decided he would. "Alright, fine. Unforgivable."

Tavis' lips curled widely. "Okay Harry, perform a strip show for us."

Harry's mouth dropped open slightly and the other boys started whistling and cheering him on. He was suddenly filled with panic. He couldn't possibly show his naked body in front of Draco. The other boys he wasn't so worried about, but Malfoy seeing him in the nude? There were so many bad things that could happen—mainly all surrounding Malfoy bragging to the Daily Prophet about knowing the size of Harry Potter's penis.

As soon as Harry took another swig of his butterbeer, however, the fear dissipated and Harry was easily urged into standing up by the others.

"You want me to dance or something?" Harry asked, feeling rather light-headed and detached.

"You don't have to dance, but make it a nice show," Tavis winked.

Smiling widely, Harry nodded. "Alright then."

He did not know where his courage came from. If it was the intoxication, it was a powerful mind control because suddenly Harry wasn't afraid. Normally, he would've taken the hex in a second but for some reason he found himself standing in front of the other boys toeing off his shoes. Then he began to lift off his shirt at an agonizingly slow rate.

"Faster! Oh come on, Harry!" Tavis joked.

"You tease!" Nicholas pretended to sob.

Harry tossed his shirt and it fell on Ralmic's head. He just laughed and swung it around. Next would come Harry's pants and feeling rather daring Harry grinned and approached Liam.

"I think I'm going to need some help with this, darling," he joked.

Ralmic fell over hiccupping from laughter and Liam pretended to be bashful. Then he unzipped Harry's jeans and yanked them down. All the other boys made "oo!" and "my eyes!" and "oh YES!" Laughing through his thoroughly drunken haze, Harry kicked his pants aside. He was now only clad in his somewhat-tight black boxers (ones that Hermione pointed out).

"Come on Harry take it all off!" Tavis shouted, cheering.

Malfoy was staring at him from behind his blond bangs, which just barely covered his silver-blue eyes. One leg was propped up and the other was bent with his foot facing his other leg. His right arm was resting against his propped-up knee and he held another bottle of alcoholic butterbeer in his opposite hand. His head was resting back against the wall and he watched on silently. There was a small smirk playing on his lips, probably because he could tell Harry was drunk. Very slowly, Harry pulled the right side of his boxers down far enough for them to see his bare hip and the crease which led to between his legs.

The boys all cheered and then shouted for him to take it all off again. Moving his hips a little he then showed the other side. Finally, after waiting an intensely long minute, Harry let his boxers pool around his ankles and the boys all screamed and cheered loudly. Malfoy looked indifferent and finished off the rest of his drink. After everyone got a good look at Harry's body, he slipped his clothes back on with a wave of his wand. In his subconscious, Harry knew Malfoy had stared at his body like the others but he couldn't quite grasp it consciously yet.

The game ended shortly after because all of them were too drunk to continue. Harry walked back to the common room with Tavis (thankfully all the girls had left by two, before Harry's strip-show, and it was only the eight of them who stayed until four fifteen in the morning). Malfoy was walking beside Nicholas as they all left. Harry, being since he had never drank before, was being held up by Tavis who had his arm slung around the slimmer boy.

"Here we are, Harry," Tavis said helping him into the common room. "You alright to get undressed by yourself?"

"Yeah 'm fine," Harry slurred. "Thanks 'or helpin'. It was fun."

Tavis winked. "There's even more fun once the semester gets going. I'll see you in the morning!"

"Night," Harry waved clumsily, stumbling into his room.

The second Harry tripped and staggered over to his bed, he collapsed onto it and promptly passed out. When morning came, he had a throbbing headache but thankfully he hadn't thrown-up. Groaning, Harry slowly sat up and rubbed his temples.

"Geez…I must've had a lot to drink last night," he muttered.

Suddenly, Harry's head snapped up (much to the displeasure of his headache). He remembered drinking a lot and the kiss—that's right! He had been French kissed by Malfoy! He remembered Malfoy standing up and approaching him then kneeling in front of him. Harry remembered that he had been too stunned to look Draco in the eyes and he just remembered seeing Malfoy's right collar bone exposed before he had been grasped roughly and pulled into the kiss. He tried not to think about Malfoy's tongue in his mouth. And then slowly all the memories from after that hit him hard.

"Oh bloody hell!" Harry covered his face with his hands. "I took off my goddamn clothes! In front of Malfoy no less! I can't face him now. What if he never lets me forget it?"

Feeling like he wanted to get hit with a bludger instead of going down to breakfast, Harry slowly and reluctantly got out of bed. By the time he finished dressing, his headache had dulled a little but some breakfast would help. Stripping had definitely been worse than kissing Malfoy, but even the kissing he was worried about. Not that he was worried Malfoy would tell the Daily Prophet (it would embarrass him as well) but rather the fact that Harry had actually kissed him back, having forgotten who he was kissing.

Thanks to the alcohol and his drunken state of mind, he had enjoyed the kiss (or had begun to). He prayed Draco didn't notice; it seemed afterward that Draco was too distracted by the fact that he was praised for such a "hot kiss" as the other boys had put it. Had Malfoy felt just as awkward kissing him? If he ever wanted to keep his pride, he'd have to watch how much he drank the next time.

Harry noticed that there was a letter lying next to his bed. It had probably arrived the previous night but since he had been out late (and really drunk) he hadn't noticed it. He opened it and saw that it was his schedule for the semester. He had five classes to take: _Quidditch History, Game Theories and Tips, Advanced Flying Techniques, Strategic Quidditch Skills _and _Bludger Mistakes. _A couple of them sounded interesting and he was quite sure this was a full load.

Sighing, Harry placed it back on the desk and headed down to the dining hall for breakfast. Thankfully he had gotten up on time. Tavis, Liam and Ambreen were sitting together and waved him over immediately. As Harry walked toward them, he glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Malfoy talking with Blake. Malfoy's eyes suddenly turned and locked onto him and he saw the familiar smirk. His stomach clenched uncomfortably, even as he looked away quickly, knowing that Malfoy had definitely not forgotten what had happened at the party. He tried to push it to the back of his mind for the time being, hoping that he'd eventually not care what Malfoy thought.

"Hey practice starts up tomorrow!" Tavis grinned.

Harry blinked. "For everyone?"

"Well, technically yes. But everyone gets to try out as well! As you know there's only a certain amount of people on a team in order to compete against the other schools. Try-outs begin tomorrow so it's a big deal!" he explained.

Harry was suddenly reminded of his new broom and all worries about Draco left his mind. He definitely was going to try out and hopefully get on the team. As he began eating, his headache disappeared completely and he felt better.

"Oy Harry," Liam nudged him suddenly. "There's going to be another party after try outs tomorrow! Maybe you could strip for everyone again!"

"You stripped?" Ambreen gasped. "Damn it! I knew I should've agreed to that game! It's just usually more fun when the semester starts because there are more people around."

"Well you missed out. Harry's one hot bloke," Tavis winked at her.

Harry just smiled in amusement as they got to talking and concentrated on his meal. So far, the academy turned out to be a nice place (with the exception of Draco making things harder). He had to remember to owl Ron and tell him about it (minus the kissing Draco of course). Remembering the kiss made Harry's stomach shift uncomfortably with the familiar flutters. Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts away and focused on the fact that finally he'd have a chance to try out his Volare3000.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

_Author's Note: _Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm so glad this is turning out alright so far. I hope to have the next chapter up in a day or two! As for WHO is dominate in this (Harry or Draco) you'll have to wait and find out! :-)

To Reviewers: 

**VivaldiNLove**: Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you like the descriptions! I do have such a particular idea in mind for how Draco and Harry's relationship progresses so hopefully that works out fine. I plan to update every couple days (hopefully!). Thanks again!

**Novalights: **Wow! Such compliments! Thank you very much! I'm so glad it's detailed enough for you. The plot will continue to build as well as the romance, promise! And I'll try updating every few days!

**Naughty-Kitten: **Thanks very much! I'll update asap!

**Meka: **Thank you! Lol! Well, you'll just have to see who's more dominant I'm afraid. But I will update asap!

**Frogginginsanity: **Thank you! Glad you liked it!

**Fudgebaby: **Oh thank you! That makes me happy to know you like it so far! I'll update asap!


	4. Harry's First Orgasm

**Captivation**

**Chapter 3: Harry's First Orgasm**

Mr. Weasley had been correct—the Quidditch field was three times the size of the one at Hogwarts. It was practically as big as the one at the championships. Harry gawked in awe as he walked alongside Tavis, Liam, Ambreen and some other students. In the center of the field was the container that held the snitch, bludgers and the quaffle. The field was crowded with students who wanted to try-out. It would probably take half the day for try-outs. Harry spotted Malfoy standing near a group of people looking grim. Perhaps he was worried he wouldn't make the team, Harry wasn't sure. He tried to keep his eyes away from the blond. Every time he saw Malfoy he immediately flushed thinking of the kiss and being naked in front of him. He really didn't want to know if Malfoy had any snide comments in store for him.

Try-outs began and Harry got in line behind Tavis and Liam. While they watched others perform Tavis explained to Harry that the woman way up front in the long silver robe was the captain. She had long, wavy blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She was strict, but extremely talented at teaching Quidditch. She apparently was also a teacher there (she taught _Strategic Quidditch Skill_). From what was explained to him, Harry was to tell the captain which position he wanted to try out for. Then apparently she would time the person trying out and see how quickly and efficiently they performed.

Tavis was trying out for the Beater position. He flew up high on his Cleansweeper and the bludgers were released. The captain then blew her whistle and timed him. He was playing against a couple of others trying out for Beater position as well. As Harry watched, he noticed Tavis had very good form when dodging and speeding up at the right time to hit the bludger. Each person only got five minutes, but they wanted to try and be as fast as possible.

"Next," the captain said as Tavis flew down.

Harry walked up to her and she nodded. "My name's Captain Murdoch, but you can call me Mariabella if you like. Your name?"

"Harry Potter," he stated softly.

Mariabella nodded politely like she did with everyone else. "What position are you trying for Mr. Potter?"

"Harry," he offered. "And Seeker position."

"Alright, Seeker position!" she announced and two students flew up into the air. Harry was incredibly thankful that Malfoy wasn't one of the students he had to go up against.

"Excuse me ma'am, but is it cheating to use my new broom?" Harry questioned.

"Oh no, that's fine. New brooms are probably safer to use anyway," she smiled.

Harry smiled in response as the excitement grew in the pit of his stomach. He held up his wand to call for it. It literally had only been a few seconds later when something came whizzing smoothly in the air straight toward him. If Harry hadn't turned his head, it would've collided with him. He managed to jump up in time and grabbed the handle. The broom was so fluid and had such a great velocity that he was high in the air in less than two seconds. It was easy to stop as well as speed up; it required hardly any movement of his body.

"Bloody hell!" some students gasped.

Mariabella blew her whistle and the snitch was released. It disappeared into the sky and already one of the students flew toward it. Harry had it in his hands in less than ten seconds. Cheering came from below and Harry swooped down, feeling more pride than he had at Hogwarts. His broom was absolutely perfect. Mariabella gave him a smile and then the next person went.

"Harry, that was incredible! I couldn't even see you!" Tavis exclaimed.

"What kind of broom is that?" another girl asked.

"It's the Volare3000 imported from Italy," Harry said proudly.

Liam came up to it and whistled. "Whoa, it's a beauty."

"Potter!"

Harry inwardly groaned and turned to see Malfoy stomping toward him. "You cheated! That broom is the edition that isn't coming out until the winter! I know because I wanted to pre-pay for it! You must've stolen it!"

The blond approached him and stood with crossed arms glaring at him and the broom.

"Malfoy," Harry said darkly, "there was _one_ of these down at Diagon Alley in the broom shop: _Broomsville. _It's not my fault you still only shop in Knockturn Alley. Of course it was the _only one_ right now until they're all released near Christmas so it was outrageously expensive, but you could've afforded it. It just so happens I got there first, that's all."

"Oh really Potter?" Malfoy drawled. "I don't always shop at Knockturn Alley, not if I hear about good deals in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade and I didn't hear about one of those being for sale!"

"Well of course not! I had to bargain with the man!" Harry snapped. "I saw it in the store and asked him if it was, normally they wouldn't be but I offered him a hefty amount. And anyway, of course it wouldn't be _advertised_ otherwise everyone would be fighting to get to it!"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. He licked his lips slowly, pursing them. "I bet all you had to do was state your name and it was yours."

Harry felt his jaw clench and he narrowed his eyes, taking a step toward the blond until they were within five feet. "That's not true. I paid a lot for it. In fact, he wasn't going to give it to me at first until I told him I had applied to this school. Perhaps he went here or maybe he admires the school, I don't know. Either way, you could've easily persuaded him as well! So don't get mad at me!"

The blond scowled darkly, wanting to say something else by the way his eyebrows were furrowed. Suddenly, his lips curled widely and he tilted his head, looking smug.

"Well Potter, don't think that broom's going to get you into the professional league faster. They don't look at just speed but form, performance and teamwork. It just so happens my father had kept in touch with an old acquaintance who just so happens to be a referee at the championships and told my father he'd contacted a professional Quidditch captain for me."

Harry wanted to roll his eyes but he just crossed his arms. "That's great Malfoy. But don't think your father's contacts are going to help you get onto the league easier. After all, they look for more than just contacts, they look for form, performance and teamwork," he shot back rather coldly.

Suddenly, Malfoy approached him quickly until they were nearly nose-to-nose. Harry breathed in the unique scent of his cologne again, unable to trace the mildly sweet odor.

"Don't mock me Potter," he seethed through his teeth.

The wind blew his blond bangs across his forehead, ghosting over his eyes. The silver-blue eyes were narrowed and dilated with anger.

"We wouldn't want word to slip out about your more daring side, now would we?" his lips curled into a smirk.

Harry felt his stomach flip. "If you're referring to the party, Malfoy, it's completely normal. Everyone goes to parties, everyone gets drunk and everyone does stupid things and laughs about it later. No one's going to care if you try and humiliate me because it's no big deal. I'm sure you've done similar things."

"Malfoy, come on!" a voice interrupted. Nicholas was urging him over since it was almost their turn.

The blond turned his head back toward Harry and took a step forward, leaning in toward Harry's ear.

"It takes pure talent to ride a broom like that Potter. Just remember that."

Malfoy wheeled around on his heel and went back to the line. Harry just glared at his retreating back, wishing that he had punched him or strangled him or done something other than stand there while silently fuming. Tavis had definitely underestimated him; he wasn't sometimes a prick, he was always a prick! Harry turned his back on the others performing try-outs so that he wouldn't have to look at Malfoy. As he headed back to the group, Liam raised his eyebrows.

"Everything alright. You two looked a little hostile or something."

"It's fine, Malfoy's just being a prick like always," Harry spat darkly. "He's just envious I got this broom first. And yet ironically when I was at Hogwarts with him, his father bought his whole team the newest edition of brooms and my team was left with the old ones."

Tavis nodded then shrugged. "It happens with rich people. My parents offer to pay for loads of things for me. Sometimes I take it and other times I like earning things. From what I know about Draco, his family's the richest pure-blooded one in the world."

"That's not saying much," Harry countered angrily. "There are hardly any pure-bloods left in the world."

"True but he's still filthy rich," Liam pointed out. "He's probably used to getting the newest items when they first come out."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his sweaty bangs. "Yeah, I guess. Can we just not talk about him anymore?"

Tavis grinned and patted him on the back. "Sure. You can forget all about him at the party tonight. Ambreen's hoping you'll strip again."

Harry shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, but I'm going to watch how much I drink tonight. How come one of you guys can't strip?"

"Because Potter, you've got more balls than us when you're drunk," Liam teased, nudging him. "You at least have to play Entranced or Cursed again. It's fun with a couple girls too and Ambreen says she and Dahlia will play this time. If we can get a huge group together it'll be loads of fun!"

"We'll see, I might just take it easy tonight since classes start tomorrow," Harry gave them an apologetic grin. "But we have the whole year and many more parties so I'm sure I'll humiliate myself again."

Both Liam and Tavis laughed aloud at this.

"You should be thankful though," Tavis said. "Some boys are even more humiliated when asked to strip because they have erections."

"Err, really?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah! It's probably mostly due to the alcohol. Sometimes the intoxication just makes their body's react, you know? Just like when you can't control a morning erection," Liam stated. "I know I've gotten an erection from drinking before."

Harry nodded, relieved. It would've been absolutely unbearable if he had been aroused in front of Malfoy. After having calmed down since the argument between him and Malfoy, Harry was able to watch the rest of try-outs. He had missed Draco's performance (not that he cared) and he watched most everyone else's until it was time for dinner. Dinner was rather quick since most students were looking forward to the party afterward. Harry was rather nervous since it was said that the students had been chosen for the team and a list would be posted at the end of dinner.

"You look like you're going to be sick, Harry," Tavis said during dinner.

Harry shrugged. "Guess I'm just nervous."

"Well don't be. If you don't get on the team this year you can try for next year. After all, you'll be here for four years."

Nodding, Harry forced a smile not wanting to explain to him how much it meant to him since he was certain it meant a great deal to everyone. Still, a part of him wanted to be selfish—wanted to say that he had suffered greatly in his short life already, not being able to enjoy much of anything like Quidditch, or dating or parties or just life in general. The more arrogant side of him thought he really deserved it more than just anyone there. He knew everyone there had talent or they wouldn't have been accepted, which is what he tried telling himself. But he was human and everyone felt selfishly once in a while.

After dinner, Tavis offered to go check on the list and Harry waited anxiously back in their common room. He felt too sick to his stomach to take a look for himself. Although he had a fantastic broom, Malfoy was right. It was more than the broom that was being judged. And he had caught the snitch so fast that he couldn't remember if his form was good or anything. It was just an old habit; he was used to see the floating golden speck and reaching out for it like at Hogwarts.

Tavis came back in chatting with others in their common room and Harry nervously approached him. Gesturing toward the chair he waited for Harry to sit down before he bent down on one knee. Harry was actually more afraid he'd suddenly propose. Tavis touched Harry's hand gently looking up at him apologetically and Harry felt his stomach drop like a bar of lead.

"You're the team's new Seeker."

"Bloody hell!" Harry shouted, jumping up. "You prat! Don't scare me like that!"

Tavis grinned cheekily, patting him on the shoulder in congratulations. Harry, incredible ecstatic and relieved, embraced him without warning.

"Wow, you're in a good mood," Tavis said, rubbing his back.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, quickly pulling away. "What about you?"

"Sadly no," Tavis smiled. "But I was on the team last year so it doesn't bother me much."

Harry still gave him an apologetic look but Tavis just waved it away. "Come on, let's get ready for that party!"

"When does it start?"

"At ten and it's going to be in the Onyx Common Room here on the fifth floor. A lot more people are coming to this one," Tavis winked.

"I hope Malfoy won't be there," Harry stated bitterly.

Tavis' eyebrows rose in amusement. "Well, he probably will especially since he got on the team too."

Harry felt his throat tighten. "He did? As what?"

"Not sure, I didn't look up his name. Anyway, try not to let him get to you. I'm going to go get ready!"

He gave Harry a wave and dashed up to his room. Sighing heavily, Harry headed up to his room as well. Sifting through his clothes, he found a pair of nicely fitting (yet comfortable) grey sweatpants and a black tank top. When he came back down fifteen minutes later (after putting some of the magical gel in his hair to tame it), Tavis was already standing there waiting. He had on very tight, holey jeans and a see through shirt that covered hardly anything.

Harry raised his eyebrows as he approached him. "Planning on meeting some girls?"

"I plan on getting laid," he smirked. "Come on, it's already ten and we don't want to miss the good stuff!"

As they walked out the common room toward another, Harry asked something that had been on his mind lately.

"Are parties allowed?"

Tavis glanced at him. "You mean does Niall know about them? I'm sure he does. As long as they don't get really out of hand none of the teachers get involved. Besides, we cast silencing spells just in case. The hall patrols usually stop patrolling after midnight and it's not like they'd punish you if they caught you in the halls after hours. They'd just tell you to get back to your room."

"Wow, it's pretty lenient here," Harry voiced.

"Sometimes," Tavis shrugged. "For the most part, as long as you keep up with your studies, you won't get in trouble for anything. Here it is!"

The two of them entered into the Onyx Common Room and Harry saw that it was just like the others—only the room had been expanded for the party and more black leather couches had been added. The carpet was even black with some silver designs in it (mainly the crest of the school). And the floating lights above him were so dim it was almost like they walked into a secret meeting of some sort. Music was playing from somewhere, Harry wasn't sure from where and it had a soft base. It was good dancing music. Although he had never been to a muggle club before, he'd assume this was a bit similar. Near the fireplace where two black leather couches sat, there was a table full of food and drinks.

Already there were at least fifty students there dancing, drinking and chatting away. Both Tavis and Harry were greeted by some students.

"Let's go get some drinks," Tavis said.

Harry nodded and immediately went for the butterbeer drinks (though he was going to be careful this time). Tavis took a different bottle and grinned.

"This stuff's pretty strong. It's got a heck of a lot of Firewhiskey in it plus what they call Lethal Violium."

"What's that?" Harry asked, speaking up because of the music and chatter.

"Violium is a type of plant that is actually carnivorous. But it's famous for its sweet fruit, if you can get past the snapping plant-jaws. It makes for a great alcoholic drink. Just the fruit by itself is too bitter though, so they mix it in with Firewhiskey and it adds nice flavor. You can hardly taste the bitterness. And you get drunk quickly," he winked. "Want a sip?"

"Just one," Harry said, taking the bottle.

The liquid streamed down his throat leaving what felt like fire in its path. It made his eyes water but once it got down past his throat filled him with an intense wave of warmth, much stronger than the butterbeer. It wasn't that it was bitter, but it was strong, especially for someone like Harry who wasn't used to alcohol.

"Good stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," Harry blinked a couple times. "Strong though."

Tavis just laughed and patted him on the arm. "Alright, well I'm off to go flirt like hell. Don't get yourself into trouble now."

Grinning, Harry just shook his head and watched as Tavis disappeared into the crowd. For a few minutes, Harry hung by the table munching on snacks and enjoying his butterbeer. He felt extremely content now, knowing he had made the team. He felt proud and decided he'd write a letter to Ron that night to tell him the good news.

"Hey Potter!"

Harry turned to see Blake grinning at him, dressed in a nice white blouse and black pants with silver stripes down the sides. Harry was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of you-have-to-wear-silver code since everyone seemed to be wearing the color. He guessed probably because the school robe was silver that it was the school's color (or perhaps one of them) just like Gryffindor was gold and scarlet.

" 'Lo," Harry greeted.

"I heard they're planning Entranced or Cursed again. Gonna play?" he asked.

"Probably not tonight," Harry smiled. "But I'll watch you all make fools of yourself."

"Haha!" Blake laughed, throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Congrats on makin' the team, by the way. Malfoy was thrilled."

Trying not to show that the mention of Malfoy was ruining the good mood, Harry just smiled. "What a surprise."

"I told everyone back at our common room you've got a body worth competing with," Blake continued, much to Harry's discomfort. "Malfoy seemed to disagree."

Harry felt his blood boil. "Really? What did he say?"

"Said that you weren't as skinny as when you were at Hogwarts but that you could afford to put on some more muscle. I said you looked fine the way you are, since some guys don't look so good with too much muscle."

His stomach tightened uncomfortably and Harry felt his breathing become shallow. "Did he say anything else?"

He wasn't for the life of him going to specifically ask: Did Malfoy say anything about my penis? So he just stared at him calmly hoping he'd reveal something.

Blake stood in thought then shook his head. "Not really. He said he could've done a better strip show. That was it. It sounds like you two haven't gotten along in the past. Who knows, he may have had an erection and just didn't want to admit it," Blake smirked. "After all, I did."

Harry felt his mouth become paralyzed as he stared up at him speechless. Blake winked then removed his arm and walked away before Harry could even think to say anything. The room suddenly felt a little too hot and he decided to go sit down on the couch. It wasn't like he minded anyone being gay, but if Blake had a crush on him he wasn't sure how to handle that. He was pretty sure he wasn't gay…or at least that's what he assumed. He hadn't had time to experiment and Ginny didn't really count (since he hadn't enjoyed being intimate with her). What if he _was_ gay?

Sighing, Harry shrugged it off. There were many gays around, just like Seamus had been, so it wouldn't be the end of the world. Even if he was, he wasn't sure he liked Blake in that way. His muscles relaxed in the comfortable chair and Harry decided he'd take it easy that night. Taking a sip of his drink, he propped his feet up and lay down. Thinking about his classes the next day made him nervous anyway. Although Tavis had offered to show him where his classes were, that didn't help much for his nerves.

He didn't know how long he was calmly watching the flames of the fireplace flicker and listened to the music (while leisurely sipping his drink). However long it had been, his dream-like relaxation was ruined by a familiar voice.

"There you are Potter!"

Harry sat up and turned his head, staring at Malfoy. The blond was dressed in casual black jeans and a silky gold shirt. Harry swore he dressed up just to show off how wealthy he was.

"Go away, Malfoy," Harry glared.

"Don't fuck with me Potter!" Malfoy hissed.

Harry turned around in surprise. He hadn't ever heard Malfoy swear so violently. It was then he realized that the blond wasn't standing very steady. Getting up off the couch, Harry stood up and only took a few steps forward.

"What do you want?" Harry spat angrily.

"You think you can fool everyone else, don't you?" Malfoy hissed venomously. "But not me Potter!"

"What are you talking about?" Harry countered hotly.

"Your 'recious broom!" Malfoy stepped forward, slurring a bit. "That stupid broom of yours! The one that _I_ was going to get as soon as I could order it! You stole my position with it, Potter! Just because of your goddamn fame!"

"I told you it wasn't because of my name! I paid for it fairly! Are you deaf or just dense?!" Harry snapped.

He was thankful that the music was loud enough to block out their ranting. Everyone else seemed to be on the other side of the room dancing and drinking as well. He was glad because he didn't want to draw attention.

Malfoy scowled and made a low sound in his throat. His fair-skinned face flushed red.

"And anyway, you got onto the team Malfoy! Out of all those students you were chosen too, so why are you complaining?"

"I'm a bloody Chaser, Potter!" Malfoy shouted, gesturing angrily with his hands. "That Seeker position was supposed to be mine!"

"Everyone on the team is just as important as everyone else! There's nothing wrong with Chasers!" Harry yelled back. "You're just a spoiled brat!"

That did it. Malfoy unexpectedly lunged at him and Harry, being unprepared, could only try and step backward. Unfortunately, the back of his legs met with the couch so he was unable to go anywhere so he was stunned when Malfoy suddenly grabbed at his throat. Unfortunately, due to Malfoy's drunken state, he wasn't very coordinated and as he lunged he lost balance. His hands missed Harry's throat and he crashed into him instead.

Harry yelped as he fell backward, unable to catch or stop him. The two of them landed ungracefully on the couch with Malfoy on sprawled uncomfortably on top of him. Harry hit the arm of the couch with his head and winced, grateful that it was a leather couch. Malfoy's face was facing down between the armrest and just above Harry's shoulder.

A low groan sounded and Harry realized it had come from Malfoy. Glancing at the blond, who had him pinned beneath him, he wondered if perhaps Malfoy had hit his head to. It was only until Harry tried to move his legs to get Malfoy off of him did he realize the source of the groan. Harry's heart jumped in his throat and he felt his face and neck flush red. Because of the way they fell, Harry's knee had become lodged between Draco's legs. And there was a suspiciously hard feeling against his knee and he was quite sure it wasn't Malfoy's wand.

"Malfoy get off!" Harry exclaimed desperately, trying to lift the blond who had suddenly become lax.

In trying to move the blond, his knee shifted and a low moan tore out of the blond's mouth as Harry's knee accidentally pushed against the growing erection. He remembered what Tavis and Liam had said about getting erections from drinking and wondered if perhaps that's what happened.

"Draco?" Harry prodded, pushing at the blond's shoulders.

The blond made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. He was completely out of it. Harry had noticed by the way he was swaying a bit that he was probably wasted, but he didn't think it was that bad. It seemed that Malfoy couldn't even lift himself up and he was really heavy when his muscles were completely lax. Harry felt his stomach squirm uncomfortably. He didn't want someone to walk by and see them like this; they'd get the wrong impression.

Harry gripped his arms about where his biceps were and tried to heave him up. Malfoy grunted and shifted slightly. Suddenly he groaned loudly right by Harry's ear and without warning thrust his hips against Harry's knee. Harry's face completely drained of color, feeling his heart just about stop in his chest. Malfoy grunted again and moved his hips, rubbing against his knee once again. Harry was suddenly frozen in shock. Was Malfoy trying to get off by rubbing against his knee?

"Malfoy," Harry protested weakly, hoping the blond would come to his senses.

He tried to move him once more and suddenly Malfoy moved one of his legs. Harry thought perhaps he was finally going to get off him until the leg shoved up into his crotch.

"BLOODY HELL!" Harry shouted in reaction, turning red from embarrassment.

Malfoy didn't even seem to notice for he suddenly moved his hips again. The blond groaned softly making some noises here and there.

"Malfoy! Get your leg out," Harry clenched his jaw.

Through his sweatpants his penis was easily pushed against by Malfoy's knee. Thankfully it hadn't shoved up hard enough to cause him pain, but it was making him very uncomfortable. As the blond rocked his hips gently, the knee that was pressed up against Harry's groin moved.

_Oh fuck! No…No, no, no!_

Harry realized to his embarrassment and horror that he was starting to become aroused. Perhaps it was because of the small amount of alcohol he had drunk. He was certain if he had been completely sober that his body would not be reacting this way. Harry tried to squirm out from beneath the blond and was suddenly overwhelmed as his penis was rubbed harshly against the knee.

A loud groan responded and Harry bit his lip, realizing it had come from his own mouth. Glancing around in a panic, he realized luckily no one was around them. Malfoy moved his hips again rather harshly, which in turn made his knee rock against Harry's crotch over and over. Harry bit his lip hard trying not to release any noises. His body was reacting quickly and his erection was growing. Harry remained still, not knowing what to do as the blond continued to rock forward then back. Soon, Draco let out a breathless groan and Harry could feel his legs trembling slightly. Then his body went completely lax. Harry figured Malfoy had orgasmed or something though his knee remained between Harry's legs. Harry breathed heavily and tried to move again.

"God!" Harry hissed, arching his back out of reaction.

The slightest movement, since Draco's leg remained against his hardening erection, created friction that caused him to become even more aroused. Harry tried to move again to get the blond's leg away from his crotch and hissed as he felt pain mixed with the new sensation. He was so aroused that now his engorged penis was aching. He didn't know what to do. Even when Ginny had forced him into a blow job and pulled out his reluctant erection, he hadn't been half as aroused as he was now.

Every time he even shifted in the slightest it made his whole body quiver. It was like he was completely helpless. Now he understood what other boys his age felt. What the hell was he supposed to do? Even if he found a way from under Draco, his erection would be noticeable through his sweatpants. He could always run out of the common room and back to his room, but if it even hurt to move slowly he probably wouldn't be able to run.

He could feel Draco's warm breath against his neck and Harry licked his dry lips. The blond still didn't realize he was on top of him or that he had apparently gotten off on him so perhaps he wouldn't remember anything.

_Why does this have to happen to me?_

Biting down on his lip again, Harry tried shoving Draco gently. The blond murmured something inaudible and suddenly shifted.

"Ughn…God…," Harry hissed as Draco's knee rubbed against his sensitive crotch.

Out of reaction, Harry rolled his hips upward and let out a loud, deep groan. His eyes shut automatically. The pleasure was unbelievable—there were shivers crawling up his spine and his stomach was all jittery and excited. Harry had no comprehension of what he was doing as he unconsciously moved his hips slowly.

"Oh God!" Harry breathed, arching his back again.

As his erection grew more painful the friction caused even more intense sparks of pleasure. Harry suddenly shifted beneath Draco, trying to spread his legs even wider as he thrust up without thinking. His body just reacted and continued rubbing against Draco's knee as the pleasure began to grow. Harry was in so much pain and pleasure that he could hardly breathe. He grunted loudly and moaned as he tried to find some sort of relief. Harry was so out of it, his free hand suddenly came up and grabbed at the shirt above him as his erection grew so painfully he thought he would burst. His sudden touch on Draco's shirt caused the blond to shift and the knee between his legs jerked upward, pushing harshly against the soft sensitive sacs beneath his swollen cock.

Harry gasped loudly letting out a deep groan and arched up even as his head tilted back against the armrest. It was as if sharp, pleasurable tingles shot up all through his body. He orgasmed hard and long even as his breathing became shallow. His release covered his boxers and dripped down his thighs. Harry's euphoric trance was broken when a painful moan echoed by his ear.

His eyes shot open and Harry blinked through his daze. He tilted his head quickly and saw Draco's face resting by his neck. The blond's eyes were closed and his eyebrows were furrowed. Malfoy's mouth also was twisted in a way that made it look like he was in pain. His disheveled blond bangs stuck to his forehead from perspiration and Harry was suddenly aware of what he had just done.

_Shit! Oh shit, I just…God, if Draco wakes up he could figure out what happened! _

In a panic, Harry shoved Malfoy fairly hard, pushing his chest and face away from him. The blond groaned loudly again sounding in pain but Harry didn't care. He could not be found with Draco on top of him and wet stains leaking through his sweatpants. Cursing, Harry fumbled for his wand and muttered a cleaning spell on his self. He didn't bother with Draco since nothing was noticeable through his dark pants anyway.

Voices sounded nearby and Harry's head shot up immediately. In a hurry, he desperately moved the blond so that the knee between his legs was removed. Shoving Draco roughly, Harry squeezed out from under him, nearly falling over the couch and suddenly flung himself to the other side just as Tavis and another guy appeared.

"There you are Harry," Tavis said. "Were you resting?"

Harry's heart was beating furiously. To his relief, he had jumped to the other side of the couch from Malfoy just in time for it must've looked like he had been resting.

"Er, yeah, I'm a bit tired," he lied. "Malfoy doesn't look so good."

Tavis glanced at the blond who suddenly moaned loudly. With his eyes still shut and a painful expression on his face, Malfoy suddenly lolled his head over the side of the couch and vomited.

"Geez, he's pretty gone," the other boy commented.

Harry remembered him from the try-outs and recalled that his name was Myron Goshawk, the son of Miranda Goshawk who was a famous author in the wizard world (from what Hermione said she had written a book titled _Standard Book of Spells_).

"I'll get Blake to take him back to their room," Tavis said.

"Er, thanks, I would help but I'm not feeling so well myself. I think I'm going to go back to the room," Harry said, feigning a tired look.

"You do look exhausted mate," Myron commented with a nod.

"Go on ahead, Harry. Hope you don't mind that I'm going to stay a little longer," Tavis said.

Harry waved it away quickly. "I don't mind; stay as long as you like."

Tavis nodded. "Now where did Blake run off to?"

"I think he's watching the Entranced or Cursed game," Myron said, jerking his head in the direction.

Harry slowly got off the couch, glancing at Malfoy who had his head rested against the armchair and still had his eyes shut. He nodded to Myron who gave him a small wave. As Harry headed for the door, he saw Blake being led by Tavis toward the couch. He slipped out and rushed back toward the Gold Common Room and up to his room. There he shut his door firmly and slumped onto his bed.

For a few minutes he stared up at the ceiling, wishing that it had all been a nightmare. He knew it had happened though. Malfoy had tried starting a fight but was too drunk, fell on top of Harry in a very conspicuous position and started rubbing himself against Harry's knee soon causing Harry's slightly intoxicated mind to produce an erection…

"I can't believe I had an orgasm in Malfoy's presence!" Harry groaned, mentally praying that Draco wouldn't remember a thing.

"First he's dared to kiss me then I take off my clothes in front of him and now this! This is worse than what happened between us at Hogwarts! If he remembers anything I'll never be able to show my face in public again!"

Rolling over onto his stomach, Harry groaned into his pillow. He was now regretting his wish to be a normal boy. If only he could be a normal boy without hormones. Now from all the years of his hormones lying dormant, they decided to spring to life all at once. It was not only confusing him and filling him with foreign emotions that he didn't know how to handle, but it was embarrassing too.

He didn't want the others to know he was a virgin or that he had never masturbated…and God forbid if they found out his first orgasm was from rubbing against Malfoy's knee! No…if he ever was going to play Entranced or Cursed again he was never going to choose entranced. If they asked about a dark secret and he spilled that, especially if Malfoy was present, he would have to kill himself or live the rest of his life as a social outcast. Why was this happening? Now he understood why it was hard for boys to control their desires. It was mind-controlling—like everything else was forgotten except trying to soothe the aching desire.

Groaning loudly, Harry swung his covers over his head and tried to go to sleep. Although it was only 11:45 at night he wanted to forget the whole thing. And hopefully by tomorrow things would go back to normal and he could pretend it never happened.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Fudgebaby: **Thank you!!!

**HalaSelene: **Thank you! Oh, I'm so glad you like my characterization of Malfoy! I like him being stubborn. :-)

**Meka: **Lol! Yeah, poor Harry for not being experienced with partying. I'm so cruel to him. Hehehee! Sorry the try-out scene with Harry wasn't as long as you might've hoped. There will be Quidditch matches in this though! Look forward to that!

**Hee-chan2: **Aw, thanks! Don't worry, I'm sure it's already obvious who's dominant. :-)

**Dragenphly: **Yay! I'm so glad you like it! Yes, I'm trying to keep everyone anticipating more, especially the building passion between Harry and Draco. Don't worry, I'm trying to update every 1-3 days. So far, I've been keeping on top of it! Oh, no, no, you don't have to worry about an angsty Harry. I HATE angst…even though it's realistic. Not to say that Harry won't have his ups and downs, but no depressing stuff or anything.

**Walking Through Shadows: **Thank you!! I'm so glad you like it thus far!

**Lollylover: **Yay! I'm glad you liked it! Let me know what you think about this chapter:-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Yeah sorry it's not really in Draco's POV. I might put him in at some point, but really I like it being seen through Harry's eyes. That way everyone has to try and figure out what Draco's thinking. Don't worry though, I won't make it hard to decipher. :-) Thanks!

**Inner Self: **Thanks so much! Oh, I have a lot of time on my hands recently. :-) That and it's such a fresh idea that it's all coming to the surface. I really hope I keep it up!

**Redmeadow: **Understandable! Trust me, I love slash WAY better too. But girls have to be in here because it's not an all-boys school, unfortunately. They're there for a reason though. Oh yes, I'm sure everyone at first was like NO, I don't want Harry with Ginny, lol! But since in the sixth book J.K. Rowling apparently puts Harry with her, I decided to use that but put what I really think Harry feels in it. I'm not a big fan of Ginny, if you can't tell. :-)


	5. Cursed Luck

**Captivation**

**Chapter 4: Cursed Luck**

Harry just about had a heart attack when he realized he had ten minutes to get to his very first class. He hadn't slept very well for the images of a drunken Malfoy masturbating on him had kept him up. Thankfully the class wasn't too hard to find. It was _Advanced Flying Techniques_ on the fourth floor at the end of the hallway that branched off from the stairs. Harry opened the door to see that most of the class was full. He stepped inside, thankful that he wasn't late; students were chattering quietly to one another (though many looked up and gawked at him).

Harry didn't recognize anyone at first until his stomach felt like it twisted painfully. Malfoy was seated by the window at his own table. Immediately, Harry sat at the first table he found with another boy with glasses (who was silently reading their textbook) and kept his eyes away from the blond. He wanted to avoid Malfoy at all costs.

"Welcome everyone," the professor spoke up some minutes later.

He was a short and stocky man with wavy brown hair and a long pointed nose. His voice was loud and had a slight Russian accent to it.

"My name is Professor Dmitrii, for those of you who don't know. Today we will begin with an introduction to the class. For the most part, this is a lecture course and I advise you to take careful notes for there's an exam every two weeks over the chapter I've discussed. There will be two presentations this semester, one in the beginning to get a feel for the class and also working on a project helps with studying, since you'll be doing research. Your first presentation will be due in two weeks the other is much bigger and will be due after Christmas. You will also be assigned partners for both.

"Now, let's begin with the introduction. This is _Advanced Flying Techniques_ where you will learn how to handle your broom with perfection. No matter what broom you have, no matter its velocity, strength, force of inertia or reaction time, there are techniques for all that can improve your flying and coordination a great deal."

The professor droned on and Harry managed to stay interested for the most part. He didn't even glance at Draco the whole time. His magical quill was jotting down notes for him so thankfully his hand didn't get sore. Once there was twenty minutes of class left, the professor stopped talking and prepared to set them up with partners.

"I've put names into this bowl and I will levitate two names out at once and this will be your partner for the class. I know that some of you would like to pair up with friends and are hoping that for the final project you'll get to have a different partner, but I decided that it's not important. The purpose of this class is to learn as much as you can about flying and handling brooms, all types of brooms, not worry about working with someone you know. Therefore, you will have one partner and it will be chosen now so that you can all concentrate on studying and researching. Alright, here goes."

The professor levitated the bowl up high, spun it to mix the names then two small slips of parchment rose into the air.

"Hannah and Cedric."

Harry's heart clenched at the name. The boy looked nothing like the Cedric that Harry had known at Hogwarts but it still pained him a little to remember how he hadn't been able to save him. A few other names were called and Harry waited patiently for his turn. He wasn't one of the students worried about being paired up with a friend since he didn't know anybody. It was a good way to meet other people and perhaps he could make a new friend.

"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy."

Or not. Harry inwardly cursed, almost forgetting Malfoy was in the class with him. Out of the twenty students in the class, Malfoy had been paired with him. Was his life cursed? It obviously seemed that way. Sighing irritably, Harry's chin slumped onto his hand as his elbow rested on the desk. This was going to be a long semester.

"Alright class, now that you know your partners you will have ten to fifteen minutes to introduce yourselves and get acquainted and even perhaps discuss ideas for your presentation. Remember, they are due in two weeks! No late assignments will be accepted. Next week I will have a random list made of the order of presentations. Now, get to work."

Glaring at the professor, even though it wasn't really his fault, Harry slowly got up and went over to where Malfoy was seated. To Harry's frustration, Draco wasn't even paying attention to him. Harry clenched his fists and summoned a chair at his table. The blond finally turned looking uninterested at him.

"Let's get something straight, Potter," Malfoy drawled while twirling his wand carelessly. "Just because we've been paired together doesn't mean I want to be seen hanging around you."

"Trust me, if I could change partners I would," Harry said coolly. "The problem is that I can't and we'll have to present this together. How are we going to do that if we don't work on it at the same time?"

"Really Potter, have you ever studied by yourself or did your mudblood do it all for you?" Malfoy's lips curled into a sneer as his narrowed eyes glistened.

Gripping his book bag furiously, Harry bit his tongue.

"Malfoy," Harry emphasized slowly with a glare.

Draco raised an eyebrow almost sarcastically, daring him to retort with something nasty.

"I am not going to get a bad grade because you can't act mature and cooperate," Harry spat quietly. "I would've thought for a Malfoy you'd want to keep up a good reputation by having good grades."

Draco stared at him long and hard with a cold gaze. After a minute of feeling confident that he had pushed a button that would force the blond to agree, Harry suddenly visualized Malfoy's knee against his crotch. Suddenly, an extreme fear filled him and he wondered if Malfoy knew Legilmency at all. Harry desperately wanted to tear his eyes from Malfoy's face but if he did that would make it seem like he was yielding to his rival's request to work separately.

"Alright students, class is over. See you tomorrow," Professor Dmitrii announced.

Malfoy immediately began to stand and Harry stood with him. "Malfoy, you haven't said how we're going to work on this."

Draco ignored him and began heading for the door. He grasped the blond's robe and Malfoy suddenly yanked his arm away and grabbed Harry's wrist, twisting it a bit painfully. The class was filing out so no one seemed to notice the exchange and Harry winced, glaring at him.

"Let go," Harry said through clenched teeth.

"Don't touch me again, Potter!" Malfoy spat, glaring at him with icy gray eyes.

Finally he released his wrist and walked out of class, leaving Harry to seethe at his retreating back. Harry left class as well fuming on the way to his other class. Thankfully Malfoy was not in his next class or the rest of his classes. And at lunch Harry made sure not to look at the table where the blond was sitting. Despite ignoring him completely and trying to avoid him, Harry knew eventually they'd have to talk. Malfoy was stubborn—probably the most stubborn boy on the planet.

If Harry left it alone, the blond would do the project by his self and present his half when the time came, leaving Harry clueless and embarrassed having to present something different. Even though it would be Malfoy's fault as well, the blond had a way of easily manipulating situations to keep his reputation safe. No doubt he'd make it look like Harry was slacking off and he was not going to let that happen.

Dinner came and Harry slumped down at the table. Thanks to Malfoy he had been in a bad mood all day. Tavis and Liam were in a deep conversation but Harry wasn't paying attention to anyone as he piled pieces of steak, chicken, pumpkin-potatoes (a wizard delicacy apparently—charmed to melt on ones tongue) onto his plate.

"You look like you're planning to kill someone with your fork," Tavis spoke up suddenly.

Harry looked up, startled to see him staring and he glanced down at his plate where he had stabbed his fork into his chicken. Sighing heavily, Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm fine, just tired," he lied.

"I hope you're not too tired because Quidditch practice starts for the team tonight," Tavis raised his eyebrows in question.

Harry groaned and nearly dropped his head on the table. "Bloody hell I forgot. I guess I better not eat too much or I might get sick."

"Who cares though. You've got the best bloody broom between all the schools right now," Tavis winked.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "I'm sure once I get used to my schedule I'll have more energy."

Tavis gave him a comforting pat on the arm and continued his own meal. Harry ate silently for the rest of dinner dreading the fact that he'd have to see Malfoy at practice. Unfortunately, the end of dinner came and Harry dragged himself to the Quidditch field. Many students were already there, including Liam (who was the Keeper) and to Harry's disliking Malfoy too. Captain Murdoch (or Mariabella) walked out toward the group. Harry made sure to keep his distance from Malfoy. He figured it'd be easier to talk to the blond up in the air during practice so that they wouldn't draw the attention of the others if they got into a fight.

"Welcome ladies and gents," Mariabella nodded with a firm expression. "Today is the first day of practice. I want you all to get acquainted with each other and take it easy. This will not be a very hard workout, just for today, but it's still important that you all get used to whatever brooms yours flying and your teammates. Then we will start the actually strategic lessons. After you all have flown around a bit, I'll release the bludgers, quaffle and snitch for each of you to practice with. I want you to pass to your teammates Chasers—teamwork is very vital," she explained. "And Harry, make sure to watch all your teammates closely so you know when it's the perfect time to catch the snitch."

"Right," Harry answered.

"If you're all set, get to it," she said, blowing her whistle.

Everyone took off into the air and Harry, who summoned his broom with his wand, gracefully took off at the speed of light, circling around several times in a second to get a good feel of his broom. First he wanted to practice speeding up then braking, in case he'd ever have to stop suddenly. Then once the snitch was released he was going to practice dodging bludgers to get to it. Of course he'd have to watch Malfoy and Liam closely, but he could still remain a distance from the blond.

Or at least he thought so until a certain blond bumped into his elbow roughly, nearly knocking him off his broom when he was stationary.

"Watch it Malfoy!" Harry spat venomously.

The blond's Firebolt stopped and slowly he did a very fast 360, obviously trying to show off his skills.

"Is there a problem, Potter?" Malfoy drawled sarcastically, giving him a rather nasty sneer.

"You better not try anything," Harry glared.

"Really Potter? Are you going to tell on me?" Malfoy teased mockingly. "Do you really think the captain can see us from way up here?"

"She's watching everybody," Harry countered.

Snorting, Malfoy began flying backward slowly. "You think you're so special because of that broom, don't you Potter? It's quite obvious you don't even know how to use its full potential."

"Is that so?" Harry's gaze darkened. "Then tell me, Malfoy, where's your proof?"

"The way you sit on your broom Potter," Malfoy glared back. "You have horrible posture and anyone, even an amateur captain, will tell you that bad posture changes how good you play. It's pathetic how you didn't know that."

Harry felt his anger begin to increase and he opened his mouth to retort. At that moment, however, a loud scream interrupted him.

"Malfoy look out!"

The blond only had time to wheel around on his broom to see a bludger heading his way. He couldn't move in time due his state of shock and being distracted and only moved enough so the bludger hit the handle of his broom instead of him. It tore off the handle, spinning Malfoy out of control. It happened so fast, Harry himself hardly had time to duck so the bludger wouldn't hit him.

His eyes suddenly gazed downward and he saw that Malfoy had been flung from his broom and was pelting toward the ground. In less than a second, Harry reacted and swooped down in a flash. He grabbed Malfoy by the robe and tried to hoist him up. The blond, who was flailing his arms in panic, latched onto Harry's broom unaware that his robe suddenly covered Harry's head, blinding him.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted, trying to push the blond away enough so he could see.

Harry managed to scoot forward quickly and slipped from under Draco's robe just in time. He saw that they were heading for the ground and Malfoy was desperately clinging to the broom behind him, trying to hold on. And Harry tried to swerve the broom up but unfortunately with both of their weight it was too hard to do so he had no choice but to test out the brakes. The broom, being so smooth and fast, stopped just in time. However, it stopped so fast and unexpectedly that both Harry and Draco were flung forward. Draco, who had lost his grip first, flew over Harry and landed on his back, releasing a pained groan. And Harry, seconds later, flew off and landed right on top of him. Harry's broom remained floating less than a foot from the ground, unscathed.

It took him a minute to register there was a warm body beneath him. Harry's heart began beating furiously as he noticed his head was right by Draco's ear. The blond's hair had been tossed above his head and some strands nestled on Harry's face since he was so close. He inhaled the shampoo fragrance, realizing that it smelled very good. And his cheeks flushed as the position reminded him of the party. Suddenly, rough hands grabbed him harshly by the biceps.

"Get off Potter!" Draco snapped, lifting him up a few inches.

Harry scrambled to get off him quickly and saw the blond had a scowl on his face.

"Are you two alright?" Liam flew down next to them. "That was a close one Malfoy! It's a good thing Potter has such a fast broom."

Draco scowled darkly and didn't respond. He just stood up and brushed himself off as the captain approached in a hurry.

"Oh good the two of you are unharmed. You should be paying more attention to the game, not chatting," she scolded firmly. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm afraid your broom has been too badly damaged for repairs. We don't have any extras right now; our shipping doesn't come in for another couple of weeks. Unless you can borrow one from somebody, you'll just have to watch the practices and take notes until the shipment of brooms come in."

Malfoy's hands were clenched so hard they were turning white. Harry could tell that the blond did not like being excluded, not matter the reasons. His mouth was drawn in a thin line and he was trying not to show his frustration and anger in front of her. Harry knew Draco was going to blame him for the accident and probably try and make him pay for his Firebolt (not that he could) but it suddenly gave Harry an idea.

"Why don't we end practice for today," Mariabella said.

"Uh captain," Harry interrupted and she turned to him. "Malfoy can borrow my old broom."

She blinked and then gave him a smile. "Wonderful. Thank you, Harry. Practice will resume tomorrow at the same time," she announced to everyone before walking away.

Everyone began heading back to the school and Malfoy stood there silently. Harry glanced at him.

"It's in my room," Harry said bluntly, turning and walking away.

He really didn't want to be any nicer to the blond so he hoped that was enough. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Malfoy was following a short distance behind with his hands crossed over his chest. Harry didn't speak the whole way there even when the two were walking up the steps to his room. Harry tapped his wand on his door and opened it, walking in first. He approached his trunk and Malfoy stood at the door, leaning up against the wall carelessly. Harry pulled out his Firebolt and put his Volare3000 back inside and then he stood up, but he didn't make a move to hand it to him.

"Are you going to give it to me or not Potter?" Malfoy asked darkly, glaring at him from behind disheveled bangs.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Look Malfoy, I just saved your life in case you didn't notice. And I'm letting you borrow my Firebolt."

"If you want payment Potter I can always find someone else to borrow from," Malfoy drawled, turning to leave.

"I'm not asking for payment, Malfoy!" Harry spat, taking a step forward. "And I doubt anyone else has a Firebolt, least of one that's still in such good shape."

The blond halted, half way out the door and turned around. "So what do you want Potter? A thank you letter?" he quipped sarcastically.

"I want your cooperation on our presentation. I'm not asking for payment or telling you that you owe me your life or anything. All I want is for you to agree to work _together_ on this project so that we can both get a good grade," Harry emphasized.

Draco stood at the door still with crossed arms for a moment. Slowly, he walked back in and began to approach him. Harry didn't move as he neared within five feet.

"Fine Potter. We can work on the project _together_. But we're going to do it on my schedule."

Harry felt the need to punch him but held back. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, Potter that while studies are important I still have a life. We will work on the project at whatever time works best for me, got it?"

For a second, Harry thought about just swearing at the blond and telling him to find a new partner, but reluctantly he held the broom out toward him.

"Fine," Harry agreed firmly. "But I don't want to wait till the last minute to do it."

Draco snatched the broom from him and gave him a look. Then he turned around and began to walk out.

"Malfoy, wait!" Harry exclaimed angrily.

The blond wheeled around. "What Potter?"

"When are we going to meet to start the presentation?" Harry asked, inwardly fuming.

"I said I will let you know," he spat and turned on his heel without another word.

Harry was sorely tempted to run after him and take back his broom just to spite him so he couldn't play for a couple of weeks. A part of him wondered why he let him borrow it instead of forcing the blond to go out and buy a new one (which Harry knew for sure he could do). It had been a reaction and also a plan to get the blond to agree to work with him. It seemed to have worked a bit; at least Draco agreed to work with him on the presentation, however Harry didn't know what to expect from doing it on the blond's schedule.

"He is so infuriating!" Harry hissed aloud, punching his trunk angrily.

"Sorry, did I come at a bad time?"

Harry inclined his head toward the door to see Tavis standing there looking amused. Sighing, Harry slumped onto his bed and shook his head.

"No, what's up?"

"I just saw Draco leave. I guess you two had another argument, huh?"

"Yeah, after I saved his life during Quidditch practice then let him borrow my Firebolt," Harry responded darkly.

Tavis just smiled and entered the room. "Don't worry, Harry. Whether or not he shows it, he knows that he owes you his thanks. You did the right thing. Anyway, I thought I'd come cheer you up with some good news. There's a very special party going on tomorrow night."

"Special?" Harry asked curiously.

Tavis nodded. "Yeah, some of the top seniors are throwing it. It's in celebration of this being their last year. Some of them are already getting replies from professional teams and they wanted to throw a party. The reason it's special, however, is because only selected people are invited. It just so happens that one of the seniors is my brother's friend Tori and he invited me. I told him about you and I didn't even need to say we're friends so now you're invited. Trust me, most people would be jealous. They throw the best parties ever and it's usually in a secret room where it'd be very hard to get caught. They play tons of cool drinking games and music and everything. It's a blast!"

"Why are they known as the _top_ seniors?" Harry asked.

Tavis shrugged. "They're just very talented. Normally, there's really no hierarchy in this school with popularity but these seniors are really well known. And a couple of them have been offered positions on some of the top ten professional Quidditch teams already. You could learn a lot from them. I just thought it'd be fun."

"Yeah, sounds fun," Harry said, desperately needing something to forget about Draco and his attitude problem.

"Great! I'll let them know you're coming," Tavis grinned. "I can't wait! Maybe I can get hooked up with a senior girl."

Harry smiled and shook his head as he left. A part of him felt very smug for getting invited. There was a good chance Malfoy wasn't invited, since it was very selective which meant if the blond pissed him off the next day he could rub it in his face. Feeling much better, Harry took off his clothes and climbed into bed. He realized that he hadn't had time to take a shower. In fact, he hadn't taken a shower since he got there since he had been using temporary cleaning spells. However, the temporary spells only worked if one wasn't too dirty. And Harry since he had gotten there hadn't needed a full on shower, but he knew that once his Quidditch practices started getting harder and he sweated more, he'd have to use the communal showers.

Although it would be awkward at first to shower with a whole bunch of other boys, he had to get used to it. That was part of the life of being at a Quidditch school. Realizing that he had forgotten to write to his friends, Harry sat up in bed and began to write:

_Ron,_

_Hey! Sorry I haven't written to you. I've been pretty busy. I met some new friends, but don't worry they can't possibly replace you or Hermione. I really like it here. Everyone's really friendly (and yes there are some cute girls). Unfortunately, there is a problem and I didn't want you to be concerned but Draco Malfoy is here too. Apparently, being a professional Quidditch player is his dream. I suppose he was pretty obsessed with it at school. Anyway, everything's going good. Everyone was smitten by my new broom (and yes I'll let you ride it when I get a chance to visit). I won't be able to visit this weekend due to homework but next weekend I'll try. Say hi to your mom, dad and everyone for me. Tell Ginny I say hi too. _

_Harry_

He wrote a similar letter to Hermione and decided that it was too late to send Hedwig out so he'd have to send it out in the morning. Speaking of Hedwig made him realize he hadn't seen her around. He assumed she was spending her time in the school's Owlry. It'd be nice to visit her the next day.

Yawning, Harry touched his face to reach for his glasses and remembered he didn't need them anymore. He then got under the covers (clad in only his boxers) and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, wondering what Malfoy's expression would be when he told him what party he was invited to.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Redmeadow:** Lol! Yeah, Draco does have issues. Hopefully, Harry will have a good influence on him, huh? Yeah, I know what you mean! I hate it when there are thousands of couples so they don't go into detail with the couple you want. Very understandable. :-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Lol! Yes, wouldn't that be nice if Harry had put the moves on Draco some more. :-) Oh trust me, once Harry realizes he's not so straight everyone else will soon find out. In fact, something very interesting is going to happen at the next party.

**Dragenphly: **Aww, thanks! I'm glad you like how I portray Harry. If you did peak at my other stories you'll realize his character isn't really different. I keep him pretty much the same (or I try to), but yeah I don't like wimpy or ignorant Harry. Lol! And I wanted to be realistic with his feelings. J.K. Rowling obviously doesn't really go into his sexual desires. :-) Oh yes, Draco's going to eventually have to admit a lot of things about Harry. Lol!

**Meka: **Yes, our beautiful Harry is really innocent, isn't he? Oh, but not for long. :-)

**Lollylover: **Thanks again!

**Yukaishepards**: Thanks! I'll update asap!


	6. Falling Deeper

Captivation

**Captivation**

**Chapter 5: Falling Deeper**

Once morning came, Harry went to the Owlry and saw that Hedwig was thoroughly enjoying herself among the other birds. There was plenty of room, all their perches were nicely polished (and could apparently float too) and their food bowls kept refilling magically. She was even a little reluctant to send the two letters out but with a nice scratch under the chin she agreed.

As he watched her fly away, he suddenly wondered if he should send an owl to Remus; he hadn't really spoken to him much since Sirius' death. A guilty pang clung to him upon thinking of the older man. Harry hadn't seen him since seventh year when he briefly spotted him with the other remaining Order members. It was during the time Minister Scrimageour contacted him to ask how his search for the Horcruxes had been going. Part of him had wanted to run up to Remus and talk to him, since the older man had acquired more gray hair and a sullen look, but he hadn't. For some reason he had distanced himself from Remus, probably because the older man reminded him of his Godfather.

Sighing heavily, Harry decided not to dwell on it for the time being. He knew Remus had survived the war and he was grateful for that. And although a part of him wanted to visit and make sure he was doing well, another part of him just felt like he couldn't…not yet anyway. Harry then made his way down to the dining hall for a quick breakfast before heading to class. Malfoy was there already, leaning back in his chair looking smug. Harry ignored him per usual, reminding himself that he had been invited to a very selective party, until the end of class. Right as Malfoy began packing up his books, Harry approached him.

"Malfoy, have you checked your schedule?" Harry blurted out, without even waiting for the blond to look up at him.

Draco swung his back over his shoulder and glanced up at Harry with a sly smirk. "You know, Potter, tonight won't work out since I've got plans to go to a party."

"Oh really? Which one?" Harry asked.

Malfoy sneered and swung his head back slightly to push his bangs from his face. "That's none of your business."

"That's alright, you know," Harry said as Malfoy made a move to leave. "Actually I have to go to a party tonight too, but I doubt it's the same one."

Malfoy snorted. "What's makes you say that Potter?"

"Well, the truth is that I've been invited to a senior party," Harry emphasized smugly, watching as Malfoy's smirk began to fade. "It's a very selective party, you know, since these few 'top seniors' throw one of the best parties of the year. Of course I'm invited. I suppose you were right about my fame. Anyway, I'll probably be out very late. We'll just have to plan our studying tomorrow."

With that, Harry gave him a look and walked out of the room not caring to see if the blond was showing his anger or not. For the rest of the day, Harry felt very confident and proud that he had finally gotten to say a comeback to Malfoy that most likely had the blond in a fury. Night time came quickly and after dinner Harry hurried to Quidditch practice, thankful that it didn't run too late. They practiced strategies together instead of an actual game (to Harry's relief so that he didn't have to be anywhere near Malfoy).

Immediately after practice, Harry decided to head to his room instead the showers where the other boys were. He could afford one more day of using the cleaning spell. Already he was worried he wouldn't be able to get ready in time for the party (since it started at eleven and it was already quarter past ten). As he ran up to his room, he thought about the clothes he had. He wanted to wear something nice since it was a very special party. After minutes of browsing, he chose the tight, silky-feeling black pants Hermione had almost forced him to get. He had been a little wary about buying them but they looked very nice on him (plus they were a dressy pair of pants and they were perfect for parties). He then slipped on a forest green, silky shirt. It was long-sleeved and had cuffs at the end, which he rolled up to his elbows.

Once he tamed his hair with the gel and got his bangs resting nicely over his forehead, he went downstairs to meet Tavis. The other boy was wearing dark velvet blue pants. They were made out of a very pricey wizard-world material that came from some water creature (but Harry couldn't remember the name of it). The feeling of the material was so soft it was almost like water and they were extremely comfortable too. And with it he wore a see-though silver tank-top.

"Wow Potter, love the outfit," Tavis eyed him with raised eyebrows. "Where'd you get the pants?"

"From Diagon Alley, the store called _Beauté_. It's my friend Hermione's favorite store. They sell clothes for both genders and apparently the French owner of the store makes all his material from that of Demiguise hair and other magical creatures."

"And this is Demiguise hair? Oh yeah, it's so silky," he said, feeling Harry's shirt. "I'll have to check that place out."

"You look nice too," Harry smiled back politely. "Did you get laid last time?"

Laughing, Tavis shook his head. "No, not the last party, but like I said I'm hoping to meet an older woman."

"I'm sure they won't be able to resist that outfit," Harry teased mildly, giving him a grin.

Tavis swung as arm around his shoulders and winked at him while laughing. The two soon left by themselves and headed for the party. They walked down to the end of the hallway and Tavis tapped his wand five times on several different areas of the wall. To Harry's excitement, the wall opened up and let them through. It was another hall, but was definitely different from the stone walls of the castle. The stone walls were a darker grey with tints of red in them. Harry softly nudged Tavis and gestured to them.

"Why are these stones different?"

"Oh, yeah it's because they're magical. Throughout the castle people have said to find at least three or four secret passageways and all the stones are different. I think Blake said it's because the passageways are charmed. He thinks they move around a lot or something. So the color change is due to the magic."

"That's interesting," Harry mused as they came to a shimmering wood door.

"This is it," Tavis grinned, squeezing Harry's arm in excitement.

Knocking with his fist, Tavis then stepped back and waited. Seconds later a voice spoke from the other side.

"Who is it?" a deep voice asked.

"Tavis Rutherford and Harry Potter," he answered.

Seconds later the door opened and they were allowed inside. As they entered, Harry was completely baffled by the size of the room and the decorations. It was at least twice the size of the common rooms (of course due to it being a magical secret passage the seniors probably charmed the room to expand). There were floating scented candles and confetti was falling from the ceiling and disappearing before touching the ground. The floor beneath their feet changed color every so often and Harry saw there were at least twenty or so people already there.

In the back of the room, Harry saw there were a couple tables with alcoholic drinks of all sorts along with tons of snacks. Tavis eagerly dragged Harry toward the drinks and they examined all the different kinds.

"Whoa I can't believe this," Tavis exclaimed in excitement as he glanced at the bottles. "They've got everything…I mean, hell how'd they get _this_ stuff in?"

Harry glanced at the bottle he gestured at. It was smaller than the Butterbeer ones and encased in a deep blue glass container.

"What is it?"

"It's amazing stuff…super expensive and I mean, I thought they only sold it Bournemouth, England! That's a hell of a way from here in Scotland. And you can't order this stuff, you actually have to fly out to the few stores in that city that have them. Even if you do that, they're so bloody expensive!"

"Is it stronger than the one with Lethal Violium?" Harry asked curiously.

"The thing is that it's not necessarily stronger. I mean, it's more potent in some ways but why it's so expensive is that it can literally make you levitate when you drink a certain amount. It fills you with such good feelings like confidence, happiness and everything. They even said in the past with people who gambled over who'd win Quidditch championships that if they drank this stuff beforehand they'd be confident enough to know who'd won. Of course, the ingredients needed in it are rare to find so there's not a lot of it anymore because it takes so long to make (if you grow your own ingredients) but hell it's so worth it! They call it the _Black Dragon_ drink. It seriously tastes like heaven—it fills you with something more intense than Butterbeer. You _have_ to try it Harry!"

"Alright," Harry shrugged, taking a bottle. "But I'm going to drink it slow just in case."

Tavis grinned. "Let me guess, you weren't the partier back in your old school?"

"No, Hogwarts didn't have any parties," Harry smiled and managed to refrain from asking when he'd have had time through studies and trying not to get killed.

Harry uncorked it, watching as a black mist erupted from it. Shrugging, he drank a sip and was bombarded with emotions. It filled him with such a hot, content sensation his legs literally began to feel like jell-o.

"You must be Harry Potter!"

Turning around, as Tavis took his own Black Dragon, Harry spotted a much taller and slightly older young man. He walked toward them wearing tight-fitted jeans and a black shirt with the blinking letters: _Heidelberg Harriers_ (which Harry knew was the Quidditch team from Germany who was undefeated thus far).

"Oy Tavis," the young man greeted. "So Harry Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you. Name's Tori."

" 'Lo," Harry greeted, shaking his hand.

"Blimey, they weren't jokin' 'bout your eyes. They practically glow," he grinned.

Harry suddenly felt very childish compared to the older man (being since Tori was twenty or twenty-one). Smiling shyly, Harry remained silent unable to find anything to say.

"This is Harry's first time drinking Black Dragon," Tavis winked, nudging Harry in the side.

"Oy, really?" Tori's eyes widened. "Blimey mate, you ain't been livin' then. Don't leave without tryin' the Red Rose either."

Harry nodded. "Alright, thanks."

"No problem," Tori grinned, ruffling Harry's hair like a kid. "Can't believe a kid like you saved the world and all. It's amazin'."

"Err…sure," Harry shrugged, trying not to show his embarrassment.

Tori just laughed and pulled Harry into a one-armed embrace. Harry, who was startled couldn't really react but didn't have to anyway as Tori pulled away.

"Be seein' you two. Have fun now!" he winked, patting both Harry and Tavis on the head.

Harry watched him go then turned to Tavis with raised eyebrows.

"He does that to everyone who's younger than he is," Tavis rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm going to go over and see what drinking game those guys are playing. You wanna come?"

"Not yet. I think I'll just look around a bit," Harry smiled.

Tavis winked then left him alone. Harry then took another sip of his drink, feeling his whole body flutter with a content sensation as he walked around. A few other people came up to shake his hands, but they didn't stop to talk to him or ask him zillions of questions (which he was grateful for). For being such a small school, it was still amazing how much time it took to meet everyone. Most of the people there Harry didn't recognize. He wondered how many students at Hogwarts he had never seen.

After he'd finished the potent drink, he stuck to the different flavors of alcoholic Butterbeers. His first choice was the Toffee Butterbeer, which melted in his mouth and down his throat so smoothly he let out a sigh. He was so content that he stepped backward without even looking and collided gently into someone. Harry almost fell and lost balance but he caught himself by placing a hand on the person's chest. It was obviously a guy, to his relief.

"Sorry," Harry said, turning around.

His emerald eyes locked into familiar silver orbs and he was suddenly at a loss for words. The young man's lips curled into a smirk.

"Tipsy already, Potter?" Malfoy's eyes glistened in the dim light.

Harry's mouth was slightly open in shock and he suddenly realized his hand was still on Malfoy's chest. Yanking it away like he had been burned, Harry stepped back one.

"Malfoy! You…how did…you weren't invited!" Harry finally blurted out.

With an amused expression, Malfoy leaned against the table, exposing a little bit of his chest because of the shirt he was wearing. It opened right below his neck and it was another silky shirt only black. Malfoy obviously wore it so that it contrasted with his fair skin and light eyes, making them stand out even more. He had on his dark, expensive jeans as well and he stared at Harry's attire.

"Nice clothes Potter. I see that you're trying to look expensive with clothes that aren't genuine. If I were to get shiny pants like that, I'd get the actual charmed leather ones from Knockturn Alley," Malfoy smirked, leaning his head back a little.

"Are you posing for some magazine or something?" Harry asked darkly, glaring at him.

"At least if I were I'd know they'd compliment my style compared to yours," the blond shot back, grabbing a bottle from the table and opening it.

Harry watched as he took two large gulps of the Red Rose and then stared at him with the same smirk.

"I see you can't handle this stuff," Malfoy glanced down at his drink. "It's understandable. We wouldn't want you to humiliate yourself again by throwing your clothes everywhere, now would we?"

Clenching his fists, Harry's gaze darkened. "As I recall Malfoy, at the very last party you were so drunk I bet you don't even remember anything."

Sneering, Malfoy gave a snort. "Please, Potter. It's takes a lot to make me not remember something."

"Oh really?" Harry crossed his arms. "Do you remember our fight?"

Malfoy swallowed another sip and stared at him through narrowed eyes. "I didn't see you at the last party Potter."

Harry laughed aloud, though he was very relieved. "You don't remember _that_ even? Do you at least remember Blake dragging you back to your room?"

Malfoy set his bottle down and leaned back against the table with both hands propped on either side of his body.

"So what if he did? What's that prove?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well let me clue you into what happened at the last party. You came over to me still pissed about my new broom complaining that you were a Chaser. Then you tried to punch me but you were so drunk you could hardly stand. All I had to do was move just out of the way and you fell onto the couch," Harry said, as Malfoy stared at him silently. "After a few minutes where I thought you had knocked yourself out, you threw-up everywhere. Then Tavis went to get Blake to take you back. Even ask Tavis if you don't believe me. So don't talk to me about humiliating myself," Harry finished, crossing his arms confidently.

Malfoy tilted his head and stood up. "Fine Potter, so I had one night of getting smashed. Big deal. At least I don't get drunk so easily."

Harry ignored the comment. "How did you get in here? If the seniors didn't invite you, you could be kicked out," Harry threatened.

"Please Potter," Malfoy sneered. "Don't even try. Blake was invited and since I'm one of his good friends I came too. Seems my invitation had just been misplaced."

By the sly grin on Draco's face as he finished off his drink, Harry knew what the blond had done. He felt his anger grow instantly. Somehow after Harry had bragged about being invited, Malfoy probably went to Blake demanding he be invited as well. Draco got up and left his bottle there.

"Well Potter, I'm going to go play some drinking games. I advise you not to try any of them since I'm sure you'll do something stupid in a matter of a bottle or so," Malfoy's eyebrows shot up in amusement.

Harry was so fed up with him the words just slipped out. "I'll challenge you to one."

Malfoy had started to walk away but he turned and smirked. Slowly, he approached the table nearby Harry. Then he reached out and grabbed some bottles.

"Let's go Potter," he said, levitating the bottles with his wand.

Harry followed, wondering what he had gotten himself into. They went through a small crowd (since many were preoccupied with the game the seniors were playing) and came to two plush chairs with a board in between. Malfoy let the bottles levitate down and separated them. On Harry's side, as well as Malfoy's, there were five bottles: two Red Rose, two Black Dragon and one with Lethal Violium. The two sat down in the separate chairs and Harry glanced down at the game.

"Know how to play Potter?" Malfoy's lips curled into another smirk.

"No, I've never seen this game before," Harry admitted as casually as possible.

Malfoy smirked knowingly. "It's simple, Potter. Of course it could be too much for you."

Harry's jaw clenched. "Just explain the rules, Malfoy."

Sitting back smugly, Draco spoke: "We each have twenty pieces that all have certain magical abilities. They can only move a certain way as well. We can challenge each other's pieces and either capture or destroy. If you destroy the piece you can only acquire its ability for three turns, but if you capture it you can constantly use it. However capturing is more difficult because you have to set traps for your opponent. The point of the game is to protect the gem on your side. You have to give it to one of your players for safe keeping and your opponent has to find it, destroy whoever is holding it and take it without breaking it. This board has three levels to it: Limbo, Heaven and Hell."

Harry raised his eyebrows and Draco just smirked back and continued: "On each level you can acquire more powers and even switch your gem to another player, if you want. However, you cannot gain players back if they're destroyed and it's almost impossible to save them if they get captured. You'd have to have gained lots of powers, including invisibility which is the number one power that most people can't get. An expert on the game, like Tori, can accomplish this but rarely anyone else. And the more players you lose the weaker your army becomes."

"And if you want your piece to avoid confrontation?" Harry asked.

"Simple, Potter. If you're clever enough you can find secret passageways to avoid your enemy. The way the board is set up is so that I can't see where your army is walking, unless you fall into one of my traps or I figure it out. Sooner or later, in Hell usually, our armies clash and that's when we fight and see who has gained the most power and skill. Of course you can confront them on any level, if you run into them. And whosever army destroys the other takes their opponent's gem and uses both gems to open the sacred gates of Hell to escape.

"There are other characters in each level such as vampires, giants, prophets and so forth. Some of them help you right away and some of them you either have to bribe with magic or something else. There are also dark creatures that like to eat you, so your players can be destroyed by them too. And some creatures just steal some of your magic."

"So, let me see if I get this. We have twenty characters: ten different mages and ten warriors. And there are three levels we journey across where we earn powers, try and make deals with other characters of the game, collect items while trying to avoid your opponent, traps or dark creatures then at the end confront each other to destroy the other's army and take your opponent's gem to beat the game," Harry said as Malfoy stared at him silently with crossed arms. "I thought you said it was simple."

Malfoy's lips quirked and he shook his bangs from his face. "It is for those who have played it before."

Harry suddenly felt that it might be a bad idea to play it, but there was no way he was backing out now.

"Fine, where does the drinking come in?" Harry asked, leaning back.

"Simple. Every time a mage of yours is captured you take two gulps from a bottle. If a mage is destroyed, you take five. If your warrior is destroyed or captured you drink three gulps always. If you are poisoned by a _Forest Demon_, one of the dark creatures, you have to chug one of your bottles. It doesn't have to be full, but you have to finish whatever's left. Then of course whoever loses in the final confrontation has to drink the rest of their bottles and their opponent's within ten minutes," Malfoy's eyes glistened. "Oh yes, and if you lose you also owe your opponent a favor."

"Are you just making that up, Malfoy?" Harry glared.

"No Potter. Ask anyone here. The senior's actually made it up to make the game more fun. Sometimes they play for money so whoever wins gets the money, but seeing as how I don't need any more money I'm requesting a favor."

"Fine," Harry agreed reluctantly. "What's your favor?"

Malfoy twirled his wand in thought and let a small smirk show. "Very well Potter. If I win, you have to give me an hour long massage."

Harry stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "You want me to give you a massage?"

"Yes Potter. It'll be payment for taking my Seeker position."

"Right here?" Harry asked, glancing around.

"Not here, Potter! Use your head," Malfoy snorted. "Why, Potter? Surrendering already?" he smirked.

"No," Harry glared.

Malfoy continued to smirk. "What's your favor Potter? Force me into making a deal to work on our presentation?"

"I thought we already discussed that," Harry said dryly. "I'm not including school in this, Malfoy but if you want to fail an assignment and see what Niall does be my guest."

Malfoy remained silent, pursing his lips and Harry thought for a few seconds. "Alright, Malfoy. If I win I want you to write a one page thank-you letter," Harry smirked, remembering the blond's joke about it.

"A thank-you letter?" Malfoy drawled.

"Yes, it'll force you to be very polite to me thanking me for allowing you to use my Firebolt for saving your life and so forth. Then I'll frame it," Harry smiled, leaning back.

The blond gave him a nasty look and snorted. "Agreed. _If_ you win, I'll write you that thank-you letter you so desperately want."

"I know how much it'd kill you to write nice words to me," Harry smirked.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "You _won't_ be winning, Potter."

"We'll see," Harry countered. "Who starts?"

"The board chooses for us. Just tap your wand on your players and they automatically move to their starting positions," Malfoy drawled.

Harry did so and watched as his mages and warriors lined up according to power. Malfoy couldn't see it because of how the board was divided. Once Malfoy's was set up the board glowed on Harry's side, allowing him to go first. Immediately after choosing him, the board expanded and opened up to the first level: Limbo. It was a fairly large board with some land and caves and all sorts of hills and mountains. There was an invisible barrier set up so that Malfoy couldn't see his pieces and vice versa, at least not until they confronted each other or fell into traps.

The game began slowly and Harry took his time trying to figure out how the pieces moved and what he should do. It was simple in the way that Harry knew the options he had and what he had to do, but doing it was a different story. Malfoy seemed very confident he knew what he was doing and that made Harry even more determined. Unfortunately, as Harry found ways of gathering items and even bumped into a prophet, he found out Malfoy had somehow gotten a vampire on his side and had sent him to attack. The vampire smelled him out and attacked one of his men, sucking much power from him. Harry had to take a couple gulps of the Red Rose for being weakened.

Malfoy was smirking the whole time until Harry got lucky and convinced a giant that Malfoy's troops were after him. The giant then used his magical black-jack to send a lightning bolt which killed one of Malfoy's mages. Harry was so smug watching as Malfoy angrily gulped down his share that he thought there was a good chance he could win. Unfortunately, as they progressed into Heaven he realized just how much more difficult it became to acquire helpful items and powers. He had to go on all these little side-journeys for some hags and a demon, not to mention one of his warriors had gotten eaten.

By the time they came to Hell, Harry was convinced he was going to lose. Although he had gotten Malfoy to drink quite a bit, the blond was still ahead in that he had more alcohol left than Harry did. He was starting to feel really light-headed now but thankfully he was sure his tolerance was higher than the last time. It was almost impossible to avoid dark creatures at this point. Sometimes ten of them would attack his men, drag off two then disappear. Malfoy had similar problems, but he knew how to avoid some of them (which was a tip the blond hadn't offered to tell him).

Harry's army was fairly strong, but because he had lost five warriors and three mages, his total amount of power had weakened. For his first time, he had to admit he did very well but Malfoy still won in the end. Harry scowled darkly as he had to finish off what was left in his last bottle then a bottle and a half that Malfoy had left.

"Alright Potter," Malfoy smirked. "Let's go."

Trying not to show that he was drunk, Harry got up slowly and carefully followed the blond out. It was already past one in the morning and the alcohol was making him disoriented and sleepy. Thankfully, he hadn't levitated out of his chair through the game. When they stopped (Harry nearly collided into Malfoy as they did), he realized they were at Malfoy's common room. Following him inside, Harry looked around as they walked up the stairs. The blond tapped his room door and walked in, leaving it open for Harry.

Sighing heavily, Harry entered his room. Malfoy turned around and smirked in Harry's direction.

"There are some scented oils in the bureau, Potter. You better make this good. And remember, I'll be timing you."

Harry rolled his eyes as he approached the bureau and browsed for some oils and creams to use. The blond wasn't going to let him forget this for a while; that much was obvious. All of them were magical items so Harry had to guess which ones might be used for massaging. There was the _Glinda's Invisible Body Butter, Phoenix-Feather Cream _among others. Harry chose a few and then turned around to let Malfoy know he just wanted to get it over with. Malfoy had apparently changed out of his clothes into a towel and was situating himself on the bed face down. The blond folded his arms for a pillow for his head and glanced over at him.

"Come on, Potter. I haven't got all night."

Walking over to him, Harry set the bottles down realizing that his drunken state was not making it easier for him to stand.

"So you want me to massage your back then?" Harry blinked a couple times.

"Potter, it's a whole body massage which means my legs, arms, back, neck, understand?"

"For a whole hour?" Harry asked, feeling another urge to strangle the blond.

"Yes, Potter, for a whole hour. That was the deal," he drawled.

"Fine," Harry glared. "But I'm going to have to kneel on the bed to do this."

"Just don't get any of the creams on my sheets," Malfoy said, resting his head down on his arms.

Biting his lip to keep from retorting nastily, Harry took off his shoes and settled on the bed next to the blond. He picked up one of the bewitched oils and poured it on the blond's back. He noticed that it glistened and it must've sent heat through Malfoy's muscles because when Harry's fingers began massaging him his back felt warm. Harry smoothed the oil over the expansion of his back and began kneading every muscle.

"Put more force into it Potter," Malfoy drawled, his head turned away from him and still resting on his arms.

Out of frustration, Harry pressed down really hard and began pounding the muscles.

"Watch yourself Potter," the blond said, raising his upper body to turn his head and glance at him.

Harry sighed irritably. "What do you want Malfoy? Hard or soft? Make up your mind!"

"Is it too difficult for you to understand how to give proper massages?" Draco drawled sarcastically while pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Really Potter, you're supposed to put pressure on the muscles but don't pound on them like an imbecile. If you don't get this right then I get to change my favor to something bigger. So if you can't understand how to give someone a massage, then perhaps you'll understand how to lend me your new broom."

"Never!" Harry suddenly spat, unable to control his temper. "You can't do that over a stupid game, Malfoy! It's not your broom!"

Malfoy's lips quirked upward. "If you're going to be a sore loser, Potter then you shouldn't challenge me. Perhaps you're not forced to lend me your new broom, but you'll be in my debt. As the rules go, you have to do a favor for the winner. If you'd like I can change it to _you_ writing me a letter about how much you admire me and how you think I should've gotten that Seeker position. Then instead of framing it, I'll give it to Rita Skeeter and have her publish it for the whole world to see."

Harry clamped his jaw shut as his eyes narrowed. "No!"

"Then do it right," Malfoy smirked, laying his head back down.

He was furious, but he didn't want to be in Malfoy's debt. Harry leaned back over him and began putting pressure down as he kneaded the muscles. Although the blond wasn't showing signs he was enjoying the treatment, he also wasn't complaining (to Harry's relief). Time passed slowly as Harry concentrated on smoothing out Malfoy's fair skin. He noticed that for the most part, Malfoy didn't have much hair on his body. Harry didn't have much either, except some in his nether regions, but he had a little on his arms unlike Malfoy.

Through his drunken haze, Harry managed to get all the muscles of his back and began on his legs next. It was awkward touching Malfoy's nearly hairless legs and rubbing his hands up and down them, but it would be over in forty-five minutes. Malfoy was making sure his wand took care of the time, which of course would alert him to let him know how long Harry had worked on him. He went no further than the blond's mid-thigh and his stomach began to feel a little strange. He thought perhaps it was the alcohol or something.

The blond let out a soft noise and Harry's heart nearly stopped. He wasn't sure if it was just a sigh or just because he was moving his head, but he was again reminded of the party when Malfoy had fallen on top of him.

"Keep going Potter," the blond grumbled.

Harry immediately continued, not having realized his hands had stopped moving. He got some different cream for his feet and felt that his hands were getting tired. It was hard work massaging someone continuously. Harry soon went to Draco's other leg and began slowly kneading the calf then he worked his way up. The alcohol was beginning to make him feeling drowsy, but he didn't want to stop in case Malfoy took up the favor of forcing him to write the letter. Suddenly, a beep sounded and Harry nearly fell off the bed. The blond moved and began to turn over.

Malfoy's eyes were closed, but he was obviously somewhat awake since he had rolled over. Not wanting to have to write a letter that would no doubt ruin his life, Harry immediately grabbed some more cream and began working on the front of Malfoy's arms. Draco's eyes remained closed as Harry continued to work, despite his stiff fingers. He realized he still had a half-hour to go but hopefully it would pass by faster. Harry noticed that Malfoy did have a bit more muscle than he did (which was probably what he was referring to when he told Blake that Harry could afford to put more on). The slightly older boy had a lean stomach with a six-pack of muscles protruding through when he tensed. Although Malfoy's biceps weren't much bigger than his, Harry had to admit he only had a four-pack.

Yawning, Harry continued down the blond's arms then onto his stomach, where he kneaded the firm packs of muscles beneath his abdomen. Malfoy released a soft sigh and Harry glanced at him, wondering if he had fallen asleep. Even if he had, his wand would still let him know come morning if Harry had done an hour. Still, he lessened the pressure on Malfoy's muscles to give his hands and arms a little less stress. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, but Harry began letting his mind wander as he began down at the front of Malfoy's legs.

He didn't realize how long he had zoned out until his fingers brushed up against something that was definitely not a muscle. Harry blinked and his vision was still kind of fuzzy but he managed to snap out of his daze. His heart nearly fell out of his chest when he saw that his fingers had hiked up Malfoy's towel and had been massaging the top of his thigh just below the hip bone. His right hand had brushed up against Malfoy's penis, hidden beneath the towel, since he had massaged the thigh muscle between his hip and groin. Harry froze, taking his fingers from beneath the towel. Although he couldn't see anything, Harry hoped that Malfoy was asleep.

The blond hadn't said anything or moved and Harry didn't want to stop for fear that Malfoy would wake up so he continued back down the thigh and the rest of the leg. His cheeks were flushed in embarrassment and he prayed that Malfoy hadn't noticed. The blond suddenly shifted and let his head roll to the side. He must've fallen asleep, it seemed. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the numbers floating in mid-air. He still had thirteen minutes left.

As Harry finished up his massage, he glanced up at Malfoy's face to see him breathing softly. His head was turned to the right so his bangs had fallen around his forehead. Harry stared at him even as he worked his hands subconsciously. Suddenly, Harry got up on his knees and worked his way back up, brushing across the towel without realizing it. He was so out-of-it that he didn't notice that he was bending down toward Malfoy. The blond's face was closer now as Harry peered down over him. Malfoy's lips were slightly parted and slow, steady breaths were coming out.

The breaths were hot and still smelled of the sweet Red Rose. Harry's own breathing was warm and it mingled with that of the blond's. It wasn't until Harry felt warm air inside his mouth that he registered what was happening. Harry shot his head up, pulling his lips away from Malfoy's in a panic. Draco moaned softly, seemingly asleep and suddenly the timer on his wand went off. Malfoy's eyes opened upon hearing the beeping noise. The blond locked eyes with him and sat up. Harry's heart beat furiously in his chest. He swallowed, trying to appear calm as if nothing had happened. If Malfoy had felt what he had done…it was all over for Harry. The blond would never let him live it down.

Malfoy slipped off the bed and smirked. "I wonder what your friends would think if I told them you had to massage me like some House Elf?"

Harry felt some relief flood through him. "They'd say you illegally brainwashed me and that you should be locked up in Askaban," Harry retorted hotly.

Malfoy approached him within seconds, leveling their gazes. "Don't challenge me Potter. After all, it's obvious who would win," Malfoy said, sneering.

"It was just a game," Harry said, though the anger inside him boiled.

The blond smirked widely. "It shows that the famous Harry Potter can be beat."

"Whatever, Malfoy. I'm done," Harry said coolly.

"Then get out of my room, Potter," Malfoy said.

Harry tried to keep his eyes on Malfoy's face and glared at the blond. But he could see the blond's well-toned abdomen in his peripheral vision. Harry turned around quickly, hoping that Malfoy couldn't see that his face was beginning to flush. He walked out of Malfoy's room.

In the hallway, he was trying to calm his racing heart. He made it to his common room as quickly as possible. Once he was safely in his room, Harry shut the door, threw off his clothes and crawled into his bed. He lay there for several minutes trying to comprehend what happened. He had tried to kiss Malfoy—that much was certain. Harry was so grateful the blond was asleep. He knew he was drunk and the alcohol was making him feel warm and sleepy, but it had been an hour so it had already begun to wear off. It was then that it dawned on him. Harry sighed deeply as he stared up at the ceiling and nodded to himself.

"I think I might be gay," he whispered aloud.

He had a hunch that was the case. It made sense that that was part of the reason Harry had lost interest in Ginny. Harry knew he felt more comfortable around boys than girls. In fact, that's why he hadn't returned any of the flirting some girls had done at the parties. It was probably also the reason he wasn't remotely interested in Ambreen. Obviously, his drunken state of mind forgot he was with Malfoy. Harry wasn't positive he was gay, but he was pretty sure.

"Still, even if I am gay and drunk or not I can't believe I almost kissed Malfoy," Harry let out a groan, praying once more that the blond would remain oblivious.

It was all a bit confusing, but it made a little bit of sense. Harry hadn't had time to experiment with girls or boys growing up so it was very possible he could be gay. Not to mention, despite his first French kiss being with Malfoy it had been a lot better than any of Ginny's kisses. And even though he didn't like Blake as more than a friend, it was more appealing to think of kissing him as well compared to Ginny or Ambreen. He supposed it wasn't terrible being gay. Blake seemed to be gay so perhaps Harry could talk to him about it. Blake was a friend after all. And as long as Malfoy didn't find out, Harry was fine with it.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**The Earth Mystic: **Awww, that's so nice! That's why I'm trying to update every few days so I don't make you guys wait too long. Lol! Oh yes, flying can be dirty! I'm so glad you thought of that because that's what I had in mind, teheheh! Lol! Yes, well I will tell you Ron and Ginny aren't completely out of the picture. You will see them again later. So your questions about that might be answered. :-)

**Meka: **Lol! Yes, alcohol indeed. It seems to be the only way to get these two to let their guard down. I'm such an evil authoress! :-)

**Branwen777: **Thank you! Hope this was a fast update!

**Dragenphly: **Yep, you were right about Draco finding his way to that party. Oh yes, building it up is so much more realistic. I've read some Draco&Harry fics out there where Malfoy suddenly turns all gooey, they have loads of sex and that's it. Lol! Oh yes! The Firebolt issue will come up soon enough, trust me! I'm glad you're thinking ahead though!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Thanks! Lol! It could be Draco's frustrated because of more than one thing, or something he doesn't even know consciously. :-)

**Frogginginsanity: **Thanks! I'll update asap!

**Peaceful Angel: **Thank you! I'm so glad you like how I portray Draco. I hate when he's overly cruel or when he all of a sudden turns all gooey. But don't worry he won't remain entirely an asshole like he is right now. :-)

**Kin Pandun:** Aww, thanks! I have been updating each chapter no more than three days after one another so I've been doing pretty good so far. So you shouldn't have to wait long for the next.


	7. Realization

**Captivation**

**Chapter 6: Realization**

An owl from Ron came that morning during breakfast. Harry was incredibly thankful it wasn't a Howler since he seemed extremely shocked and pissed off in his letter. It read:

_Harry,_

_BLOODY HELL! MALFOY'S THERE? You can't be serious! You know, he's probably stalking you since you were the main cause of his father being sent to Azkaban. You never know if his dad told him to try and kill you or something. You better watch your back. Or better yet, try and get him kicked out. I'm glad you're having fun. Ginny still seems really pissed off. Just the other night when I showed her the letter you wrote me she started screaming about how you were probably already hooking up with tons of girls and how you just didn't want her because she was younger. But don't worry about her. She'll get over it…eventually. So, have you met any girls? Hermione says hi and she hopes that you'll visit soon. OY! Are you coming back for your birthday Harry? It's in four days on this Saturday! Hermione really hopes you will! Let us know!_

_Ron_

_p.s. Tell the Ferret-Head I hope he rots in Azkaban with his dad. Oh, did you ever find out if he has the Dark Mark? I bet you ten thousand galleons he does! But don't hold me to that. Dad would kill me if I gambled any money. _

Harry just shook his head in amusement. Although Malfoy was annoying, he hadn't come off dangerous at all. Still, Harry did want to know if he had the Dark Mark.

_Hold on, I gave him a full body massage last night! Damn it! I can't even remember if I saw anything or not!_

Harry inwardly cursed alcohol and wondered how he'd get to see Malfoy's arms. There was a chance that after Quidditch practice that night, Draco would be in the showers. Perhaps Harry should take a shower; he needed one after all. The cleaning spells weren't very thorough. During the _Advanced Flying Techniques_ class, Harry glanced over at Malfoy to see the older teen leaning back smugly against the wall with his head tilted back as his magical quill took all the notes. He completely ignored Harry's presence even after class when he tried to speak with him.

Angrily, Harry followed him out of class and down the hall. He was thankful when they came to a hallway with no students there so he was confident to catch Malfoy's attention.

"Dr—Malfoy!" Harry shouted.

The slightly older teen stopped then wheeled around. "Are you stalking me Potter? Or is it that you want to give me another massage?"

Draco's lips were curled upward in amusement and Harry's heart nearly stopped. Had the blond been awake when Harry's hand had brushed against his penis? Had he just pretended not to notice so that he could use it as black-mail later on? Trying not to panic, Harry glared at him.

"Malfoy, we _need_ to get started on this project! Why can't you cooperate?"

"Perhaps because I have better things to do right now," he drawled. "In fact, I was actually thinking of throwing out your Firebolt and getting a better—"

Harry didn't even hear the blond's whole sentence. He lunged for him with such force and aggression that Malfoy was even too stunned to move out of the way. Harry slammed him hard up against the stone wall, knocking the wind out of him. Without hesitation, Harry punched him across his face, splitting his lip.

"Don't you _ever_ say that!" Harry shouted in fury.

The blood dribbled down from Malfoy's lip but Harry punched him again right after the first one, causing his nose to start to bleed (though he didn't break it like Malfoy did to him in their sixth year). Harry had came in so fast and punched him without warning that Malfoy hadn't been able to block the attack, but after the two punches he fought to push Harry off.

Once he managed to shove him off, Malfoy wiped the blood from his face.

"I didn't think you were that attached to your old broom, Potter," Malfoy spat, glaring at him.

"It was a gift from Sirius!" Harry blurted out.

He bit his lip, trying not to let himself get carried away. Just mentioning Sirius' name brought back some of the pain that he had yet to grieve. In anger, and not wanting to leak any tears in front of Malfoy, Harry angrily retorted:

"If you don't want that broom then give it back! But if you so much as put one scratch on it I'll make sure I find a way to get you kicked out of this school!"

Harry then wheeled around and stomped off both upset and furious. He desperately needed some air. If he would've remained there any longer someone would either have spotted them fighting or Harry would've begun to get upset over his Godfather all over again. It was so infuriating being a human. Whenever he was alone and he could cry, he didn't feel like it. But when he was in front of other people and he absolutely _didn't_ want to cry, the tears started to come. Malfoy was the last person he wanted to see him cry. In fact, he hadn't even cried at Dumbledore's funeral. After Sirius died, he had let some tears fall when he sat by the Hogwart's lake by his self, but other than that he never actually grieved.

Perhaps it was time to contact Remus. It might even make him feel better to talk with the older man. Given that he had some minutes before his next class began, Harry went up to the Owlry where Hedwig was resting. He took out some parchment from his book bag and a quill.

_Remus,_

_I know it has been a while. I'm sorry we sort of lost touch. I guess with the war and Voldemort and all, I just couldn't deal with staying attached to anyone. I can't believe I even survived. But I'm really glad you survived. I haven't seen you in over half a year but I'm doing fine. I actually got accepted to the Quidditch Academy of Scotland. I thought perhaps some time we could see one another and catch up. My birthday, as you know, is this coming Saturday. I'm probably going to celebrate it over at Ron's house so you're welcome to come that day. I hope you're well._

_Harry_

He let out a soft sigh of relief. It felt good to write to him finally. Hedwig didn't put up much resistance when he offered it to her and flew off immediately. Although Harry was still pissed off about Malfoy and Sirius was again on his mind, he felt better once the day wore on. By the time lunch came and Harry made his way to the dining hall, he saw that Hedwig was already there sitting on the table with a letter attached to her leg. His heart immediately clenched.

"Remus replied already?" he asked aloud as he rubbed Hedwig's feathers.

Upon opening the letter however, Harry's excitement died.

_Potter,_

_Go to the library before dinner right after class. Be there on time—I won't wait for you._

Harry knew who it was from—Draco. Although he was disappointed that Remus hadn't gotten back to him, he wondered why Malfoy wanted to meet him. Perhaps he was finally going to agree to work on their project. His next few classes passed by relatively fast, though he received quite a bit of essays to work on. Finally, his last class came: _Strategic Quidditch Skills_—the one where Captain Murock was his teacher.

"Harry can I see you?" Mariabella gestured to him.

"Er, sure," Harry said as he quickly packed up his books.

The rest of the students were already leaving as he approached her desk. Smiling, Mariabella gestured for him to sit down.

"Err, am I not doing well in the class or something?" Harry asked nervously.

"Oh no, Harry, you're doing just great," she shook her head. "It's actually a message from Niall. He's a bit busy so he couldn't meet with you personally, but it appears that Rita Skeeter has found out you're here. She has tried to sneak in and get an interview already but Niall's doing all he can to keep her away. I just thought I'd give you the heads up."

"Thanks," Harry nodded.

She smiled as he got up and left the room. Rita Skeeter was always finding ways to torment him. Granted, she wrote a descent article about him when the war ended but she was still annoying as ever. Harry hurried as fast as he could toward the library, hoping that Draco had at least waited five minutes. When he got to the library, it was practically deserted and he didn't see anyone around. Harry walked around the tables, searching for any sign of Malfoy. If the blond had literally left a minute after waiting, Harry was going to kill him.

"You're late, Potter," a voice drawled to his left.

Harry saw Draco standing by one of the book shelves with crossed arms.

"The teacher held me after class," Harry said, approaching him. "And it takes a few minutes to walk down here, you know. I'm only five minutes late."

"Are we going to work on this or not?" Malfoy retorted with narrowed eyes.

Harry set his books down, resisting the urge to break Malfoy's nose. It seemed that the bruises Harry had left on the blond's face had been cleaned up. The older teen probably had some sort of magical cream to cover it up.

"Do you have any ideas?" Harry asked.

"No Potter, I was waiting for you," Malfoy drawled.

"Alright, so…should we talk about it?" Harry asked.

Draco gave him a cool look and sat down at the table. Harry sat across from him, feeling rather awkward.

"Well Potter? Any brilliant ideas since you so desperately wanted to meet with me?" Draco drawled.

"Hold on!" Harry exclaimed, glaring. He thought for a couple seconds and was relieved when an idea came to him. "How about we demonstrate how to catch a snitch?"

"You're kidding me, Potter. Why would we do that?"

"Look, both of us have been Seekers, right?" Harry asked, not waiting for a response. "And it's not as simple as 'you see the snitch, you fly after it'. I mean, there are some techniques you use, such as ones to dodge bludgers and other players while making sure you keep up with the snitch. Plus, there's a specific technique for grabbing it so that it doesn't slip through your fingers. Professor Dmitrii said that we just had to present something on a flying technique, right? Well, catching a snitch has a flying technique to it."

"Potter, I'm sure some other people are also going to use Quidditch positions in this. It's cliché," Malfoy said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, but what if we made it really specific," Harry urged on, leaning forward. "What if we showed one of the _exact_ techniques and positions used for catching a snitch as a bludger is coming head on and to the side _and_ if the other Seeker is closer to it already? That's a very specific situation and I doubt anyone else would think of that exact play. This way, we both can demonstrate it. You heard what he said about going to the Quidditch field for our presentations. So it'll be perfect!

"And we can do something a little extra," Harry added, remembering what Hermione did for one of her classes. "We can make some diagrams of the play with arrows and everything on charmed paper so that the images move. This way we'll have something to turn into the professor as well as show him. And if we explain the positions and techniques in detail on the paper we hand out, all we'll have to do on the day of presentations is demonstrate it."

Malfoy twirled his wand absentmindedly while in thought. Finally, he shrugged. "Fine Potter, we'll do your plan. But I hope that we get a good grade for it."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Malfoy, the directions were pretty vague so as long as we choose an appropriate technique, which I have, and present it accurately, which we will, and also turn in a little something extra, then we'll get a good grade. As long as he sees that we've worked hard and planned it out, we'll get full credit. That means though that we'll have to split the work up for drawing the diagrams and adding detailed explanations. Then we'll have to work together on the demonstration. Can you handle that or is it too much?"

Malfoy's lips curled and he leaned forward. "Is that a challenge Potter?"

"I'm just wondering if you're going to cooperate, Malfoy. It was me who, as you say, desperately wanted to get together to plan this out, but I'm _not_ under any circumstances doing most of the work. If you even cut out a little bit I'm not filling in the gaps even if it means getting a bad grade. You're just going to have to learn to work with me, Malfoy. After all, not only do we have to work together on this project, but all through the four years we're here," Harry said, as Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"We're on the school's team, Malfoy. That's a big deal to them! And I'm _not_ going to have them lose their fifth victory, and the huge party afterward, because you and I can't work together out there. It's not like Hogwarts; we're on the same team playing against the same opponents so one way or another we'll have to learn to cooperate. I'm up for putting aside our rivalry and differences when we're playing Quidditch or when we're paired up as partners in class. Do we have a deal?"

Harry stuck out his hand toward the other boy who stared at it indifferently. Malfoy continued to twirl his wand as Harry remained like that. There was no way he was going to drop his hand though—Malfoy had to agree or nothing would work out. Finally, after a few minutes of deathly still silence and Harry wondering if perhaps Malfoy was an even more immature asshole than he first thought, the blond moved his hand and shook Harry's briefly.

"Fine, but I'm not agreeing to be your friend, Potter," Malfoy drawled, pulling his hand away. "After all, I offered you that once and a Malfoy never offers twice."

Harry didn't feel like arguing with him so he just nodded his head. Finally they had a mutual agreement on something. Malfoy immediately stood up and Harry followed.

"So when do you want to start working on the project?" Harry asked casually.

"Anytime that doesn't interfere with my plans, Potter," Malfoy said, smoothing his bangs with his fingers.

"Malfoy," Harry said darkly. "The presentation is due in less than two weeks and this weekend I'm not going to be around."

"Really? Leaving so soon?" Malfoy smirked.

"You wish," Harry retorted. "Look, can we make a schedule? Like meet at a certain time each day to work a little bit on it?"

Malfoy crossed his arms and gave him a sarcastic look as he thought. "Fine Potter. If you want to work on this so bad, we'll meet every morning before breakfast."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "Wha—? Malfoy, that means we'd have to meet at seven in the morning."

"Take it or leave it, Potter," Malfoy drawled.

Feeling unbelievable frustrated and furious, Harry decided that it would be best to just agree and get the project over with. "Fine!" he muttered reluctantly. "But you better be there, Malfoy! This better not be some sort of trick to get me up really early while you sleep in."

"Of course not Potter," Malfoy gave him another sarcastic drawl. "I want to get this over with even more than you do."

With that, the blond left without another word. Harry glumly followed moments later and trudged to the dining hall for dinner. He was so close to killing the blond that he could hardly stand it. Malfoy was really making things difficult. Harry remembered what he had said in the hallway and really hoped that the blond hadn't been awake when Harry had accidentally touched him.

He was grateful to get a little something to eat before practice. Harry walked onto the field in his uniform and the captain blew her whistle to signal everyone to get together.

"Alright everyone, practices are going to get much harder. Our match against the Muteki school from Japan is in a month and they're as good as their name. Tonight we're going to do runs and practice several different strategies together. I need to make sure you all know how to work well with one another and that we figure out the best strategic plan as of yet. The Muteki players have a new strategy each year so we're going to do the same. Now, get to it!"

Mariabella hadn't been joking when she said it would be a tougher practice. Not only did Harry have to practice catching the snitch in time, but also avoid being attacked by bludgers and other players. Not to mention he had to watch his other teammates carefully to know when to catch the snitch or when to prevent the other team's Seeker from catch the snitch. Thankfully, he was so distracted with practice that he didn't even notice Malfoy's presence. Surprisingly, the blond hadn't run by him retorting with nasty comments. He seemed to be just as distracted.

Once practice was over, Harry knew he needed a shower. Many of the other boys luckily were too tired and probably would resort to cleansing spells in the morning. Harry felt very fortunate for when he went in there he saw only one other boy and he was already getting dressed to leave. They smiled at each other as he left and Harry entered the changing room. He slipped out of his clothes and into a towel and headed toward the showers. It was communal and it didn't have separate stalls for each of the shower heads so he would be in clear view of anyone else.

Harry slipped the towel on the hanger right outside the large shower room. The moment he went under, the faucet turned on by itself (since it was charmed) and it automatically poured shampoo on his head. Harry sighed contently as he massaged his fingers through his hair, cleansing any grime or dirt that was there. He was so relaxed by the hot, soothing water and the charmed sponges that began washing his body that he didn't hear someone else enter until he heard another faucet being turned on.

Glancing over his shoulder in surprise, Harry's eyes caught sight of the back of Draco Malfoy, who was also running his fingers through his hair as shampoo came down. Harry quickly looked away, embarrassed at having glanced at his rear end without thinking. The other boy hadn't even said anything to him; not even a snide comment. Perhaps he was too tired to think of something, but Harry wasn't taking any chances. He was going to ignore the blond's presence entirely. The sponges continued to scrub any grime off his skin and Harry made sure to keep his back to Malfoy (even though he was certain the blond had already seen everything). For some reason, Harry couldn't stop his cheeks from heating up with embarrassment.

_Why the hell am I feeling so embarrassed? It's just Malfoy. He's already seen me naked anyway. _

It was still bothering Harry that he wasn't sure if the blond had been pretending to sleep during the massage or not. If he had been awake and felt Harry's hand brush against his penis, then why hadn't he sent him a humiliating Howler about it or even mentioned it? Hopefully, that meant that Malfoy had really been asleep. There was no way Harry could play another drinking game with him. Then again, why _had_ Malfoy asked for a massage? That was a strange request to ask for from someone he didn't like. Perhaps he just wanted to make Harry feel uncomfortable.

Letting a sigh escape, Harry turned off the faucet and stepped sideways to grab his towel. He wrapped it around his waist and went into the changing room without glancing at Malfoy. Once out of sight, Harry's muscles relaxed and he dried his self off. Unfortunately, the second he wrapped the towel around his waist again and picked up his clothes, Malfoy appeared clad only in his towel. Almost instantly, Harry's eyes went to his arms. They were bent as he picked up his own clothes so Harry couldn't be certain if the Dark Mark was there or not.

Malfoy suddenly glanced up at him and Harry pretended to be sifting through his clothes for his wand. His curiosity about the Dark Mark was literally eating him inside, but he didn't want the older teen to realize he was staring.

"Potter."

Harry nearly jumped a foot in the air, startled when Malfoy spoke to him standing just feet away.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, refraining from sounding too annoyed in case they started fighting again.

The blond stood in front of him still clad in his towel and suddenly thrust something into his arms. Harry blinked down at his Firebolt in confusion.

"You're giving it back?" Harry asked, glancing up at him.

Malfoy's lips curled into his familiar sneer. "Of course Potter. I don't normally take things that have already been used. My mother owled me back today and said she'd send me a brand new one tomorrow," he said smugly. "So I don't need your old broom anyway."

Although the blond still sounded cool and impolite, Harry was actually feeling a tad thankful. Perhaps Malfoy had made the connection between the name Sirius and the rumor in his third year about him being Harry's Godfather. There was no way Malfoy felt sorry for him, or sympathized, but perhaps he was really fearful Harry would try and get him kicked out. Harry's eyes darted down to the blond's arms, which had been crossed over his chest.

"Is there something interesting you're staring at Potter?"

He still couldn't see, but perhaps…

"Err, you have something on you," Harry lied, pointing at him (in no particular spot).

Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he unfolded his arms, glancing down carelessly at his torso. Harry got a good view of his muscular abdomen and his arms. A bit stunned, Harry saw that both were completely clear of any Dark Mark.

"Where Potter?" Malfoy demanded.

"Err, it's on one of your arms," Harry said quickly.

The blond glared at him but Harry quickly thought of a spell in his head and subtly pointed his wand at Malfoy when the blond glanced down at his right arm. The spell hit his left arm quickly and Harry pointed.

"There, on your elbow," he said quickly, pointing.

Malfoy turned his left arm over and saw a smudge of dirt on his elbow—very small and hardly noticeable. Thankfully, the spell Harry had used had been a very mild one. Normally the spell would be used for gardens and putting more soil in it, but Harry had learned enough in Charms class at Hogwarts to know that if the spell wasn't said out loud it wouldn't be strong. And since he had aimed for Malfoy's elbow, it had been placed there. The blond luckily hadn't appeared to feel anything.

"You must've rubbed up against something," Harry said, shrugging.

He made sure to keep his wand out of sight so the blond didn't notice anything. Malfoy waved his wand carelessly and the smudge disappeared. The blond's eyes were still narrowed as they stared at him coldly, but Harry didn't keep the gaze since he didn't want the older boy to realize he had been lying.

"Er, thanks for the broom. I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said quickly and rushed out, still clad in a towel, before he could hear Malfoy's response.

Once he was in the hall, Harry waved his wand to change into his clothes and inwardly cursed his self. He had said something nice to Malfoy. Although he hadn't been in the mood to start an argument, there was a chance that Malfoy would get suspicious by his behavior.

_How is he ever going to know it was me who put that stuff on his arm? He seemed too distracted and tired anyway. I have to stop worrying over nothing. _

The moment he returned to his room, Harry gently put his Firebolt back in his trunk. He didn't have much trouble falling asleep. The next morning, however, his muscles were so sore he could barely move at first. His wand alarm woke him up at six thirty and he was not in a good mood because of it. Harry wanted desperately to just run to the library, hex Malfoy and go back to sleep. Instead, he grumbled as he put on some nice jeans and a green tank-top and made his way to the library.

The whole way there he couldn't stop yawning. And it angered him even more to see the blond sitting at one of the tables casually as if it wasn't too early. Harry slumped down into the seat across from him. Malfoy smirked as he saw how tired he was.

"You couldn't have groomed yourself a bit more?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said tiredly. "Look, let's just get this over with."

"Fine. I thought since we're going to making such complex diagrams that today we should go out and fly to practice what we're going to demonstrate."

Harry stared at him with his mouth clamped shut, inwardly fuming. His muscles were sore, he was hungry and tired and yet Malfoy wanted to go fly around. The other boy could probably tell Harry didn't have much energy, which was why he chose it. Wordlessly, Malfoy smirked and rose up out of his seat. Harry reluctantly followed him to the Quidditch field. The blond had with him his brand new Firebolt that he had obviously polished up to show how new it was. Harry summoned his new broom, smirking when Malfoy subtly glared at it.

"Well Potter, since you're the team's Seeker, you can be the one to show them how to catch the snitch. I'll be the other player trying to stop you," Malfoy smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes and the two took off in the air in order to practice the routine. They used a random stone that they levitated to pretend it was the snitch, since they couldn't use the real one without permission. Harry did exactly as he did every time he caught the snitch. Even though he was tired, he felt exuberant in the air.

"Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, swooping down to him.

"What? I almost had it!" Harry said, glancing at the levitating stone.

"Your posture is still horrible! I can't believe how lax the try-outs are getting," Malfoy drawled.

Harry clenched his fists but was too tired to retort nastily. "What's _wrong_ with my posture? This is how I've always ridden a broom."

Malfoy snorted and flew behind him. "Let me show you how to sit properly, Potter."

Harry's stomach flipped as he felt Malfoy's hands on his lower back. His cheeks instantly flushed and he tried not to move. The blond's hands pushed against his spine and Harry almost shivered but he caught himself. He didn't know what was wrong; he had been feeling strange things around Malfoy. Perhaps it was because they were forced to see each other constantly and kept pushing each other's buttons. Or perhaps it was because weird situations came over them that Harry had never imagined before, like when Malfoy had rubbed his erection against him while he was drunk, how they had to French kiss or when Harry was forced to give him a full body massage.

"You keep your back straight unless you're bending forward for speed. If you bend forward, Potter, keep your arms here!" the blond explained, oblivious to Harry's discomfort.

Malfoy leaned over him from behind and grabbed his hands, forcing his left one lower than his right. The blond's hair brushed against the side of Harry's face and once more Harry could smell the cologne. This time he could tell that Draco placed the perfume on the side of his neck and on his collar bone. He wanted to ask Draco what the fragrance was—it smelled so good. Harry's head turned slightly and he realized from the way the blond was bent, he could see straight down his shirt. His abdomen muscles were flexed and his hairless chest was visible. Harry's face immediately leaned closer toward him, very slowly. His nose was only centimeters from Malfoy's neck; the fragrance was stronger and the blond's skin looked as smooth as silk with the rays of the morning sun on him.

Just then, Malfoy pushed against Harry's lower back, forcing him to lean forward. Harry was startled out of his trance and he glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with the other teen.

"Like this, Potter," Malfoy's lips curled widely.

Up close, Harry could see his eyes clearly. They were oval shaped—delicate yet intense and had different colors of grays mixed in. There was a dark grey just around his pupil and it became lighter as it faded out. When the sun shone in his eyes, the color appeared silver and made his eyes have a sort of luminous glow to them. Harry hadn't ever noticed that before. Immediately, Harry looked away feeling his face redden. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he staring at Malfoy's features? He knew what he looked like.

"If you can remember that, we might actually pass," Malfoy drawled, giving him another sly smirk as he flew back to his position.

Harry was not having a good time. His feelings were making him more and more confused. He was quite certain he was gay now and probably because Malfoy was a male Harry was reacting differently to him than in the past. But being gay shouldn't have to change his perception of Malfoy just because he was a guy. Maybe these were normal feelings for someone who was gay. Did Seamus ever think about him or Dean as more than a friend after he realized he was gay? And what about those he didn't like, such as Blaise Zabini and others? Had Seamus' perception of them changed once he found out he was gay? He wished he had someone to talk to…

Perhaps talking to Blake wouldn't be such a bad idea. Although it would be awkward, he could at least try. For the next half-hour, he and Malfoy practiced. Harry made sure to do exactly as Draco demonstrated for him so that the blond wouldn't have to get too close again. He just needed some time to think. Finally once eight o'clock came, Harry was relieved when they had pretty much gotten the demonstration down.

"Malfoy," Harry said, as they were heading back inside, "we should start the diagrams soon."

"Fine Potter, but I'm not working on it this weekend. There's another senior party," Draco turned and smirked at him. "Were you not invited?"

"I don't know," Harry clenched his jaw. "It doesn't matter because like I said I won't be here this weekend."

"Pity. I'm sure everyone will be disappointed that you won't be stripping for them."

Narrowing his eyes, Harry refused to comment. His assumption had been right—Malfoy wasn't going to let him forget about that. The two then separated without another word. Malfoy seemed to be heading back to his room for something (or at least in that direction). Harry went to the dining hall for breakfast. There he spotted Blake in his usual place. Wiping his clammy hands on his tank-top, Harry approached him. Blake was busy in a conversation with another boy when he turned and saw him.

"Harry, what brings you to our side?" Blake grinned, staring at him intensely.

Harry swallowed thickly. "Erm, I was wondering if I could talk to you before class."

Blake raised his eyebrows in question, but he smiled. "Sure. Just come get me when you're finished."

"Thanks," Harry said, walking quickly back to where he usually sat beside Liam and Tavis.

"Hey Harry, there's another senior party going on," Tavis grinned in excitement. "Last time I think I got this senior girl, Lina, interested in me! Anyway, you're invited again too."

"Er, sorry Tavis, but this weekend's my birthday and I promised my friends Ron and Hermione I'd celebrate it with them," Harry said.

Tavis looked surprised and a bit disappointed. "Oh that's right. I forgot. How old will you be?"

"Eighteen," Harry said.

"Ah, you're still young," Tavis winked and then nudged him playfully. "Well, I'll let you know if anything exciting happens."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I'm sorry we didn't really hang out at the last one."

Tavis waved it away. "Don't worry about it, Harry. You don't have to spend all your time with me. Besides, I saw you and Draco playing The Eternal Eclipse game. You two seemed really into it. I admit I'm not very good at it."

"Me either apparently," Harry shrugged. "I lost. And I don't think Draco's ever going to let me live it down."

"Well, just because it'll be your birthday," Tavis' smile widened as he leaned closer, "I'll let you know if he does anything embarrassing at the party."

Grinning widely, Harry nodded instantly. "Thanks. That would make my day."

Tavis went back to eating and Harry got lost in his thoughts. He didn't eat too much and got up about twenty minutes before breakfast would end. He approached Blake reluctantly but was surprised to see that he had already finished. Malfoy had also gotten there at some point. He was deep in a conversation with the boy Danny whom Harry had met at the first party. Malfoy glanced up at Danny while the other boy was talking and suddenly the blond's eyes caught sight of him. Harry pretended not to notice him staring.

"Do you mind if we talk outside?" Harry asked, gesturing.

"Not at all," Blake smiled.

The two walked out of the dining hall and Harry didn't even glance backward to see if Draco was watching. When they came to a secluded hallway, Harry turned to him nervously.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question."

Blake leaned up against the wall and shrugged. "Sure."

"Well, are…are you gay?"

Letting out a laugh, Blake threw his head back causing his long sandy hair to flow away from his face.

"Is this because of what I said to you at the party? Sometimes I do come on a little strong when I'm drunk."

"It's not that," Harry said quickly. "I just, well if you are gay I was wondering if you could tell me how you know."

Blake raised an eyebrow and suddenly stepped closer. "That's easy. You have wet-dreams about boys instead of girls. Why, do you think you're gay, Harry?"

The way he asked it suddenly made him feel uncomfortable. Harry shrugged. "Erm, I don't know actually."

"Well which do you dream about?" Blake asked quietly, casually coming closer.

"I…erm," Harry hesitated, not really wanting to admit he'd never had a wet dream. "Both actually," he lied.

"Hmm," Blake said, pausing to think. "In my opinion that either means you're too afraid to experiment with one over the other or you just haven't decided yet. I've been with both girls and guys, actually. I tend to like guys better because there's less drama, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Harry nodded.

"You know," Blake said, staring at him. "If you want to experiment with me, I'd be glad to."

Harry suddenly froze and stared up at him with unblinking eyes. Blake gave him a half-smile and reached a hand forward. Harry didn't know how to react and was having trouble registering it was even happening. Blake brushed his fingers across Harry's cheek, moving aside the stray strands of hair. Any words at all that he wanted to say died instantly. He was so shocked he couldn't even move his jaw. It was like he was watching this happen as if he wasn't really there. Blake bent forward, brushing his fingers lower and lifting Harry's chin. Harry's heart was pounding so loudly he thought it might burst through his chest.

A second later a warm pair of lips covered his and all Harry was able to do was to stare widely at Blake, who had shut his eyes. Blake's hand moved to the back of his neck and suddenly Harry blinked. Blake's mouth suddenly moved over his passionately and the other boy immediately slipped his tongue into his mouth. Harry reacted instantly, remembering the kiss with Malfoy, and his tongue lashed out across the other. Harry's voice was muffled as Blake pinned him against the wall and began kissing him fervently. The hand at the back of his neck was coaxing his mouth open wider. Harry let him kiss him and realized that it wasn't as awkward as he thought it'd be.

Finally, Blake broke away breathless and opened his eyes. Harry stared up at him flushing pink with embarrassment.

"So, how was that?" Blake smiled.

"Erm, it was nice," Harry said awkwardly.

"Yeah, it was," Blake licked his lips.

Harry immediately felt his stomach flip. He wanted to know if he was more interested in guys than girls, but he didn't want Blake to get the wrong impression.

"Thank you for offering to…you know, experiment with me," Harry said quickly. "I...I should probably go."

"Harry," Blake said, grabbing his arm. "Tell me, would you want to go out with me?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Blake I…I'm not even positive I'm interested in guys."

"But you liked the kiss, didn't you?"

"Err…yeah. I just…I think I just like you as a friend," Harry said awkwardly.

Blake's expression turned to one of disappointment and Harry immediately regretted ever agreeing to talk to him.

"I'm sorry," Harry offered quickly.

The other boy blinked then shrugged and gave him a smile. "No big deal, Harry. I offered to be your experimentation after all. We're still friends, right?"

"Of course," Harry said instantly, feeling horribly guilty about leading him on.

"I suppose I'll just look forward to any games of Entranced or Cursed we play," Blake winked. "Oh, Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry asked as Blake began to step away.

The other boy gave him a smile. "I think you already know which interests you."

With that Blake walked away and down the hall, leaving Harry still standing there. He pressed his back against the wall, sighing heavily. Why were awkward events happening to him? Blake didn't seem upset that Harry liked him as a friend, but he still felt guilty. Sighing, Harry decided to head to class a little early. Blake's words ran through his head as he walked. The more he repeated his words, the more he found that Blake was right. He knew for sure now that he was gay. Harry was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice a figure, hidden by the entrance to the dining hall, staring at him with intense gray eyes as he walked away.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Redmeadow: **Yep, experimentation was needed:-) Yeah, Harry did run away a couple of times. He was just very confused about his feelings. He's starting to figure things out now though.

**Frogginginsanity: **Thank you! I'll try to keep the chapters nice and long!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Lol! Yes, poor Draco and Harry still in denial.

**Jonadark: **Lol! That's true that Harry didn't tell Draco that. But then again, he masturbated against Draco as well and he didn't want to give Malfoy the chance to remember anything. Lol! Yeah, I figured people would skim past the mild Ginny/reluctant Harry stuff. But I figured that I can't just jump into the story without that bit because J.K. Rowling DID put them together in the sixth book. So I had to find some way to get rid of Ginny. :-) Thank you very much for the compliments! I've been updating every couple of days so I hope I keep it up!

**Darkshadowarchfiend: **Thank you! I will!

**Meka: **Lol! Yeah, Malfoy always seems to be passing out, doesn't he? Don't worry though, he can't run forever, muahahaha!

**The Earth Mystic: **Lol! Haha, yeah but I think poor Harry was too drunk and confused to think about checking out Malfoy's size. He is finally realizing some of his feelings though. So he's progressing. Lol! Yes, think about school until the next update so you don't drive yourself crazy.

**Inner Self: **Lol! Yes, a massage from Harry would be nice. Well, Harry is confused about his feelings and also he was a bit drunk but not so much that he didn't know what was going on. So that's why he could control himself…but trust me now that he's understanding his feelings he may not be able to control himself much longer.

**Pixie9: **Thank you! Oh yes, I know what you mean. I hate it when stories suddenly have a nice Draco and they get together almost immediately. That to me is unrealistic. I'll update asap!

**Branwen777: **Thanks so much! Yes, tension building is fun to write too! Lol! There will be plenty more tension and definitely a climax to look forward to. :-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Thank you! I'll update soon!

**Tiger Eye2: **Aww, thanks! Lol! Yes, poor Draco. He's all happy with his new broom now. I'll update soon!

**Dragenphly: **Oh yes, but I think poor Draco is having even more trouble coping with feelings than Harry is. Plus the two are just in denial. Don't worry, it won't remain like that for too much longer. Tehehehe!

**Cuteandnice: **Aww, thank you! I'm so glad you like it so far! Well, I think it's already obvious who's going to be dominant. :-)


	8. Birthday Surprises part 1

**Captivation**

**Chapter 7: Birthday Surprises (Part 1)**

"Harry! Hey, you awake?"

Groaning, Harry rolled over and glanced at his door. "Yeah, 'm up."

The door opened and Tavis came inside grinning. "What are you doing sleeping through breakfast?"

Yawning, Harry struggled to sit up. "Malfoy and I are working on a project for class together. He decided to choose seven in the morning as our meeting time. We met again this morning and just like last time he wanted to fly all around even though I didn't have any energy. I don't know how, but he seems to have enough energy."

"Maybe he's taking energy potions," Tavis suggested, sitting down on the bed.

Harry's jaw opened slightly. Why hadn't he thought of that? It made perfect sense. "Erm, yeah probably."

"Well you should come down and eat something. The others were wondering where you were since we have some good news."

"Oh?" Harry blinked, adjusting his pillow so he could lean back.

Tavis grinned. "Just a small group of us are throwing you a birthday party before you leave Saturday. We were thinking about Friday night."

"Today's Wednesday right?" Harry asked.

"Yep. So what do you say?"

Shrugging, Harry gave him a smile. "Sure. You guys really didn't have to though."

"Ah, come on. It's an excuse for another party. And since you'll be missing the second senior party of the year on Saturday it seemed like the perfect make-up party."

"Thanks," Harry nodded. "So, who's all coming?"

"We sent invitations to each common room."

Harry's eyes widened. Tavis burst out laughing and shook his head.

"I'm just kiddin' Harry. It'll just be our common room, the Jade Common Room and Blake's common room, since you already know most everyone."

"Okay," Harry nodded, even as his chest tightened at hearing Blake's name.

He still felt guilty. Perhaps he'd apologize to him again. He let out a soft groan when he remembered that Draco was in the same room as Blake. Maybe the blond would decide not to come.

"You feeling alright?" Tavis asked, touching his forehead.

"Er, yeah, just tired," Harry lied. He knew it'd seem a bit immature of him to say he didn't want Malfoy invited. If he came, Harry would just ignore him.

"Do you by any chance have an energy potions?" Harry asked.

Tavis smiled and nodded. "I have a couple. Would you like to have one?"

"If you don't mind. I'll pay you back if you'd like."

"It's just one, don't worry," Tavis said. "I'll give it to you tonight."

"Thanks," Harry smiled.

It took him a few minutes to get ready, but he managed to make it to the end of breakfast. He grabbed some toast and headed off to class. Harry was surprised when he didn't see Malfoy in class. Part of him wondered if he was sick or if he was just skipping. Perhaps the blond had been so tired from their early morning work that he had fallen asleep.

_I wish I were in bed…_

The day dragged on and Harry was grateful that he didn't have a ton of homework to worry about over the weekend. When lunch came, he wrote a reply to Ron saying that he'd love to spend his birthday with them and that he'd meet him at his house around ten. Once dinner came, Harry glanced over in the direction of where Blake was sitting. Malfoy was there next to him and the two were in a deep conversation. Harry's stomach lurched a bit, wondering what they were talking about. His thoughts strayed to when Blake had kissed him in the hallway. Had Blake told anyone about the kiss? It wasn't that he was embarrassed about being kissed by Blake, but he definitely didn't want Malfoy to find out he was gay. He could use that information in many bad ways.

Thanks to Tavis' promise about lending him an Energy Potion, Harry was up the next morning bright and early feeling refreshed. When he went to meet Malfoy in the library he saw that the blond noticed his more kempt appearance.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Draco asked, his lips curling into a sly smirk.

Harry shrugged. "No reason. Are we flying today?"

"I think we've got that down, Potter," Draco drawled while leaning back in his chair.

"Okay so let's start on the diagrams. I have some charmed paper," Harry said, sifting through his book bag to find some. "Here."

He handed the blond some paper and watched as Malfoy pinched it. "How typical, Potter. You bought the cheap kind."

Sighing, Harry gave him a sarcastic glare. "I really don't think Professor Dmitrii is going to care. It's good enough."

Malfoy made a noise in the back of his throat, obviously disagreeing.

"I'll do the first five steps, you do the rest," Harry said.

Malfoy didn't respond as he twirled his quill absentmindedly. The two got started on drawing the diagrams by use of magic and then writing descriptions. Harry glanced up at the blond from time to time. He wondered if Malfoy was coming to his party. Not that he cared of course. Still, his eyes couldn't help straying toward the other boy, who had a careless look on his face as he worked.

After a half-hour, Harry finished his and glanced up at Malfoy. "Have you finished?"

"Not yet Potter," the blond drawled quietly.

Harry scooted his chair back and walked around the table toward him. "Can I see?"

The blond glanced at him indifferently and Harry bent over his shoulder to take a peek. For some reason, Harry had the urge to bend down even more like Malfoy had done the other day. He was wearing a casual blouse so if he bent down far enough and Malfoy angled his head he'd be able to see down his shirt.

_What the hell is wrong with me? It's not like he's impressed by my body._

Harry shook his head of the thoughts. He needed to stop thinking about Malfoy. Just because he had discovered he was more interested in boys didn't mean he had to have strange thoughts about his rival. Harry admitted the blond was attractive, but he was still an asshole.

"Is there something wrong?" Malfoy asked with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Harry blinked. He realized Malfoy must have seen him shake his head. "No, it's good. Do you want to see mine?"

Malfoy gave him a sarcastic look but didn't object. Harry went to grab his and walked back over. Although he didn't have to, Harry leaned back over Malfoy's shoulder and placed his parchment next to the blond's. It was obvious the two thought similarly about the sketches done by magic. It was a simple spell that could produce images from the mind which appeared on the parchment and even moved. The figures looked as if they had been done by one person. Their descriptions were a bit different (Harry wrote to the point and Malfoy fancied up his words to sound like a professional author), but it wasn't a huge difference.

"There. We're basically done. We just need to touch these up and maybe practice our demonstration once more," Harry said.

He turned to glance at Malfoy and the blond leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to look back at him indifferently. Harry felt his chest tighten a bit as his eyes took in Draco's features once more up close. His bangs had swayed over his eyes slightly and because of the angle he was at, his neck and collar bone stood out.

"Err…so tomorrow do you want to practice once more?" Harry unconsciously wetted his lips with his tongue.

Draco kept his gaze on him and shrugged carelessly. "We've got it down, Potter. It's not that difficult."

"Oh, err, okay," Harry said, unable to stop the small feeling of disappointment. "Then I guess we're ready."

"Good," Malfoy said as he stood up.

He brushed against Harry's shoulder as he got up to leave. Harry nodded to him and the blond glanced at him briefly with a peculiar glint in his eyes. Then he smirked slightly and walked out of the library. Harry's shoulders sagged a bit but he was relieved he wouldn't have to get up at an ungodly hour any longer. Their presentation wasn't for another five days so Harry didn't have to worry about it.

That night Harry couldn't sleep; he continued tossing and turning, not understanding what was keeping him up. Once he finally got to sleep, he didn't wake up until almost seven. Groaning, he realized that even without having to meet Malfoy any longer his body was accustomed to waking up. He stared at the ceiling for several minutes and wondered if his insomnia had anything to do with the party that night. Perhaps he was afraid other people would find out he was gay. What if Blake had told everyone in his room? He didn't know why it would bother him; mainly it was just thinking of Malfoy finding out that made him uncomfortable.

"They're doing this party for me. I have to stop thinking so negatively," he grumbled aloud.

Sighing, he decided he'd get up and get dressed a little early. Breakfast didn't start until eight, but if he took his time it wouldn't be a long wait. After he got dressed and used a cleansing spell on his hair (along with magical hair cream to make sure it didn't stick up all over the place). Then he looked through his outfits to decide something to pick out for that night. He found something at the bottom of his trunk that he had forgotten he had bought. It was a more expensive attire—something Malfoy would probably appreciate and it was perfect for the party. He could wear it for that night and for his celebration with Ron and Hermione on Saturday.

A few minutes before eight, Harry went down to breakfast and was surprised to see that only a couple other students were there. Normally he didn't come down until nine since his first class didn't start until nine-thirty. He took some eggs and toast and began to take his time. It was only a few minutes later that he heard the doors open and he turned. Blake was walking to the table by his self and the pang of guilt erupted once more. Harry bit his lip, hoping the other boy wasn't mad at him.

Blake noticed him as he sat down and Harry waved. The other boy smiled back and Harry sighed in relief. He didn't seem mad at all. Harry turned back to his breakfast but a moment later he felt someone sit down next to him. He turned and saw Blake smiling at him.

"So, I heard about your party tonight," Blake said, tilting his head. "How old will you be?"

Harry swallowed the bite of egg. "Err, I'll be eighteen."

He was still a bit nervous around the other boy, but he didn't show it. Blake pushed his longer hair back and gave him a half-grin. Harry didn't know why he didn't see it before, but he _was_ very attractive. His sandy hair went down to the middle of his neck (Harry realized it was shorter than when he first met him at the first party) so it was long but not too long. The hair was a tad bit wavy and framed his face nicely to show off his bright blue eyes.

"Eighteen huh?" Blake tilted his head again. "You look a little younger."

"Err, really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but not by much. Looking younger is what everyone wants these days anyway," Blake winked.

Harry nodded. "How old are you?"

Blake smiled again and licked his lips. "I'll be twenty-one in August."

"That's coming up soon. Are you going to have a party?" Harry asked.

"Would you come?" Blake countered curiously, staring at him with glimmering eyes.

Harry almost blushed. "Yeah, of course."

Laughing softly, Blake grinned widely. "That's good to know. Well, I look forward to seeing you tonight, Harry."

"Me too," Harry said quickly, not really knowing why he was suddenly nervous.

Blake got up and gave him another smile before he went back to his table. For the rest of the day, Harry was thinking about what he would say to Blake at the party. He needed to apologize somehow in order to relieve the guilt he was feeling.

By the time dinner came, Harry was both anxious and excited about the party. He ate dinner quickly and was relieved to hear that practice had been canceled due to the pouring rain from the thunderstorm. As Tavis told him, Scotland had many rainy seasons and as August drew nearer it would start to show. He told him the winters were sometimes severely cold with a lot of fog and mist and it rained quite a bit. It wasn't something to look forward to with Quidditch, but Harry was certain their captain would figure something out.

Harry slipped on the tight velvet, black pants he had gotten not only because it was a special material (the same kind that Tavis' blue pants were made of) but also because these pants were charmed so if he spilt anything (or masturbated on someone's knee) it wouldn't show. Plus they flared out a little bit at the bottom making them seem much more attractive, especially around his slim hips. And he wore his silky, forest green blouse (his favorite shirt), which brought out his eyes. And because his pants were so tight and velvety it showed every curve of his body. He felt a bit self-conscious, but he realized that he looked very handsome in it.

Thankfully, the vision-healing potion was working wonders and he didn't have to open a new one for another few days. Harry worked a bit more on his hair to make sure it was smooth and completely straight so it didn't stick up at all. It came down nicely over his forehead and although his bangs weren't long like Malfoy's were, he was satisfied. When he came down from his room, Tavis whistled loudly. Harry shook his head, smiling.

"Wow, Harry. The girls are all going to drop dead tonight," he winked. "You know, I overheard Ambreen at dinner while you and Liam were talking about Quidditch. She really likes you."

"Err, yeah," Harry said, shifting awkwardly.

Tavis smiled knowingly. "You're not interested in her, right?"

"Actually…I have something to tell you," Harry said feeling thankful that no one else was around yet.

Everyone was meeting in their common room for the party, but it didn't start for another half-hour. Harry bit his lip and Tavis raised his eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

"I, erm…I'm sort of…," Harry gestured with his hands, trying to get the courage to say it. "I sort of like boys more than girls."

"Ah, I see. So that's why," Tavis grinned. "She was wondering why none of her flirting techniques were working. You don't have to be embarrassed mate, there are tons of gays both girls and boys."

"That's a relief," Harry smiled, feeling the tension leave him. "I just wasn't sure if you'd feel comfortable hanging around me."

Tavis shook his head, smiling. "I'm not homophobic, Harry. I'm straight but I have kissed a few guys, mostly during Entranced or Cursed, but it's no big deal. Really, no one's going to mind at all, trust me. Ambreen will be disappointed as well as half the other girls in this school, but I'm sure many guys will be very glad."

Harry felt his cheeks grow hot. He couldn't really say anything but he nodded gratefully. He helped Tavis set up the tables that had snacks and drinks on them. Tavis mentioned to him that because the seniors were throwing their own party Saturday that they had extra drinks so they offered some to him. Harry thought that was really generous of them, especially since only a couple seniors had been invited. It was last-minute and Tavis knew Harry had to be up by ten the next morning to go meet his friends so that was why only two other common rooms had been invited. That would make about twenty-five people, which was plenty to him.

Soon after the tables were set up and the room was expanded, people started showing up. Harry got a little nervous when he saw Ambreen with a couple of her friends. Immediately, the brunette smiled at him and came over. Her eyes subtly up and down his body and Harry felt a bit exposed, despite the fact that hardly any skin was showing.

"Harry, it's so wonderful to see you again," Ambreen smiled, moving to embrace him.

Harry was startled but he patted her back awkwardly. She pulled away and took his hand, dragging him to one of the couches.

"We never get to talk, just the two of us, you know? You look great, by the way."

Her glossy lips curled into a smile and Harry swallowed thickly. She was wearing a white glimmering tank-top that showed quite a bit of cleavage and a short skirt. Her hair was done up in a magical bun that sent glimmers every now and then. She obviously wanted to be noticed. And her face looked as smooth as silk, probably due to _Miranda's Miracle Powder _which was a common accessory of most girls. It was charmed powder that could cover up any blemishes, scars, dark circles, anything for up to twenty-four hours. Hermione also had it as well as Ginny.

"Er, thanks. You look nice too," Harry said, trying to sound polite. He didn't want to her to think he was flirting (since he wasn't remotely interested).

Smiling girlishly, she bit her lower lip then turned to him. "Harry, are you seeing anyone?"

His stomach suddenly churned with anxiety and Harry shook his head honestly. Ambreen scooted closer to him and put a hand on his.

"I hear that Tavis wants to start a game of Entranced or Cursed. I have to admit Harry, I was…very disappointed I hadn't stayed for the last game you played."

Harry's throat tightened and he lost the will to speak. Her eyes began getting closer, just like Cho's had only hers weren't tear-filled they were glittering from the eye-shadow she was wearing.

"Ambreen," Harry said, before her face got within half a foot.

"What is it Harry? Is it the make-up? Is it smudged?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Er, no it's not that. It's just…I'm…," Harry stared at her as she blinked expectantly. "I'm not interested in women."

Ambreen's eyes widened a bit, but she didn't look that surprised. Instead she sighed with disappointment.

"Damn…I should've known. You're just so sexy, but many good-looking guys prefer men over women these days. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of straight good-looking men, but…well…I was really attracted to you," she said, glancing at him.

Harry nodded in understanding. "Sorry, I just thought you should know."

"Oh don't apologize, Harry," she waved her hand. "But, just out of curiosity, would you be against kissing a girl in a game of Entranced or Cursed?"

Harry blinked and shook his head. "No, girls don't disgust me I just prefer men."

It felt very odd to say, but he knew it was the truth. Although he'd never had a boyfriend, it was obvious which he was leaning towards. Ambreen gave him a sincere smile.

"Well that's good to know. Maybe I can still have my fantasy fulfilled then," she winked.

Harry felt his face heat up. She was definitely very pretty and although he wouldn't be against kissing her in a game, he wouldn't want to date her.

"Alright, well do you mind if I let the girls know?" she asked, referring to her friends.

Harry shook his head. "No, people are bound to find out eventually anyway."

She smiled again and reached out to touch his hand. "I really do envy any guy that gets with you. If you ever want some sexual relief though, I'm always up for it."

She licked her lips and Harry got the distinct impression she was referring to blow-jobs. After all, Tavis said she was very talented. Nodding while slightly embarrassed, Harry answered: "Er, okay."

Leaning forward, Ambreen planted a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Harry said, watching as she got up.

She gave him another smile before she joined her friends again. Harry took in a deep breath, thankful that it hadn't been too hard.

"Hey Harry," Liam plopped down. "I noticed you didn't have a drink so I got you one."

Harry smiled as he took the bottle of Red Rose. "Thanks."

"So, I saw you talking to Ambreen," Liam smiled, resting his head back. "She's a cutey huh?"

"I guess so, but I'm gay," Harry shrugged.

"No way, I would've never guessed."

Harry found that it was easier to say each time and no one reacted badly at all. Ron and Hermione though would be a different story. He knew his friends would accept him no matter what, but it might be harder for them since they grew up together. And he didn't even want to think about Ginny's reaction. Liam smiled and patted his back.

"Blake'll be happy to know that. He's gay too and ever since he broke up with his last boyfriend almost five months ago he's been dying to find someone new. He even admitted that he thought you were hot."

Harry flushed at that. "Er, really?"

He tried to sound surprised and Liam bought it, nodding. "Oh yeah, but don't tell him I told you. I'm sure he'll flirt with you eventually. But seeing as how you're gay I'm sure you won't mind that. You still up for playing Entranced or Cursed later?"

"Sure," Harry said, feeling much better that he had finally accepted his sexuality and no one seemed to mind.

"Great!" Liam grinned. "I need to go get me another of these. I think we're starting soon so don't drink too much before it!"

"Alright," Harry promised, watching the boy dash off.

A few other people came up to wish him a happy birthday but so far Harry hadn't seen Blake or Draco there. He knew Blake was coming, since the boy had told him, but he wasn't sure about Malfoy. Liam came to get him a few minutes later to start the game. There were five girls playing and seven boys so far, including him. They all sat in a circle and the game began. Of course since Harry's birthday was the next day, and the party was for him, he got to choose the first victim.

He chose a girl named Maria who picked Entranced. Harry thought for a second. He knew everyone wanted him to ask her something daring to make the game interesting. Finally, he came up with a good question.

"Alright," Harry said, as she took a sip of Veritaserum. "What is the most sexually bizarre dream you've ever had?"

Some cheers and whistled answered and the girl flushed pink as she spoke: "I had a dream of being pinned down on the bed wrapped in ribbons with Ambreen dressed a man, stripping for me while standing above me."

Ambreen fell over laughing as others just whistled and cooed. The girl was bright red, but she was laughing as well. Harry smiled and took a gulp of his drink, thankful that he was getting used to playing the game. It went down the line and finally he was asked by Ambreen.

"Er, Cursed," Harry said. "But a hex."

Some groans were heard all around and Ambreen looked disappointed.

"I know you just want me to strip but I'm not drunk yet," Harry said as the group laughed.

"Alright then, Harry. Since it's a hex, but still a curse I dare you to give Liam a kiss, unfortunately clothed."

Harry glanced at the boy as the others cheered again and Liam just grinned. Harry stood up and walked over to him. He bent down and kissed the other boy passionately, even putting a hand behind his head. Liam responded to the kiss without hesitation and it ended within thirty seconds. The girls squealed and Harry walked back to his spot.

"Wow, I might have to change my sexual preference now," Liam joked.

Everyone burst out laughing including Harry who took another bottle of Red Rose. It had become his favorite now. It was stronger than butterbeer with a buttery feel to it and not such a sweet taste. But it wasn't as strong as the Black Dragon. The game went on and after Harry dared Nicholas to give Maria a lap-dance, Nicholas then turned to him.

"Alright Harry, just for that, since you're the birthday boy, I dare you to go over to Ambreen and kiss her passionately _and_ you have to grope her while doing it."

The girls squealed again and Liam cheered loudly, wanting to see some action. Ambreen grinned, pursing her lips while slightly flushed from drinking. Harry, who was thankful he was slightly intoxicated, walked over to her and bent down. He put both hands on her waist as he pressed his lips to hers. It was definitely different from kissing Liam—her lips were thinner and it was less intense but still better than Ginny's (for some reason). Remembering what Ginny had done in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry trailed his fingers up her shirt and squeezed her left breast gently. Ambreen automatically wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and slipped her tongue between his lips. Harry French-kissed her and slid his tongue along hers for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Liam exclaimed, raising his bottle.

Ambreen sat back, grinning widely even though her lipstick was slightly smeared while her friend Dahlia grasped her arm in excitement. Harry didn't know exactly what they were whispering about, but it was apparent that he did a good show. It was then Harry realized most of the others there were crowded around them, watching in both amusement and excitement. Harry's eyes scanned the crowd and his heart nearly skipped a few beats when he spotted Malfoy standing next to Blake. The two were watching on and he wasn't sure how long they had been there. The blond was taking a gulp of his Black Dragon at the moment and didn't appear to see Harry staring at him. Blake glanced at him and gave him a smile and Harry smiled in return before quickly turning back to the game.

"Okay Dahlia," Harry said, choosing the next victim.

The girl let out a giggle and covered her mouth. "Uh, I choose an unforgivable!"

"YEAH!" several boys and girls whooped loudly.

The girl was laughing and bit her lip anxiously as Harry thought of a good one. "Alright I dare you to choose another girl to get up and dance with sexually while both of you are in your bra and underwear."

"Alright, Harry! Excellent choice!"

"YEAH!"

"This is awesome!"

Dahlia laughed hysterically while pulling Ambreen to her feet. The girls stripped slowly while everyone else cheered them on. Dahlia had on a lacey pink bra with matching underwear, which had a charmed heart on the back that glittered and changed colors. Ambreen, unfortunately for her, had on an almost see-through bra and a black, silky thong, which Liam was very happy about. Dahlia waved her wand in the air to play some music and the two girls started dancing up close, shaking their hips and holding each other's waists. As the girls got into it, being drunk, Ambreen turned around and Dahlia smacked her bare cheeks, earning whistles from many guys. The two groped each other a little bit and at the end of the music even shared an open-mouthed kiss.

Harry was smiling and enjoying the show as much as everyone else, despite having a difference preference. His eyes gazed over at Malfoy who was staring at the girls with amusement. He didn't seem to be hungrily taking in their bodies like Liam and some other guys but he did seem to be smirking slightly. Blake was also watching and laughing as he drank from his bottle. As the drinks were finished off after the next couple of victims (in which Damian, a red-headed boy, had to moon everyone), the round one ended.

"Who wants to play round two?" Liam shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ambreen and Dahlia stayed in, still completely drunk and having a great time, but Harry decided that he'd step out and watch for a change. Some groans of disappointment came around and when Ambreen saw that he wasn't playing she pointed at him.

"Harry Potter, being the birthday boy whether or not you choose unforgivable you should have to strip for all of us!"

"You missed that the last time, sorry!" Harry laughed, giving her a wink (he normally didn't wink but it must've been the four bottles of Red Rose).

"Oh come on, Harry! Please!" Dahlia begged.

Rolling his eyes, Harry responded: "We'll see."

The girls screeched and slapped each other's hands clumsily and Harry just smiled, stepping back to watch round two. Malfoy was pushed into playing by some of the girls and Nicholas, but Blake remained out. There were now fifteen people playing and Harry watched in amusement. As the round began with another girl Embra having to lick chocolate from off of Lina's bra, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking side-ways, Harry saw it was Blake who was smiling down at him.

"You having fun, Harry?"

"Definitely," he smiled. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, let's go someplace where it's less noisy," Blake said, gesturing toward the couches.

Harry followed him and the two sat a short distance away on one of the couches that was facing away from the group. He could still hear the cheering and screaming, but he ignored it as he turned to Blake.

"I just wanted to apologize again for what I said before," Harry began.

Blake raised his eyebrows. "Hey, don't worry about it. Really, Harry you don't have to feel bad."

"Well, I was a little unfair to you," he said, leaning back as the alcohol gave him courage to speak. "I mean, I led you on by asking you such a personal question. And in the end you were right."

"About what?" Blake tilted his head as he propped an arm on the couch.

"Er, about knowing my preference. After you told me I already knew I figured out that you were right. I knew I preferred guys over girls, but for some reason…I don't know why it didn't click until after you said that," Harry admitted, staring at him seriously.

Blake shook his head and smiled. "You were just confused, that's all. It's normal to doubt your sexual preference sometimes. Besides, I did come on a little strong."

Harry sighed and leaned his head back. "Maybe, but I was still unfair."

"Don't worry, apology accepted," Blake winked. "No hard feelings, promise."

Harry nodded, relieved. Blake sighed and leaned back against the arm rest.

"You know, maybe it was good anyway. After all, this is my last semester here."

Harry sat up and turned his body completely to face him. He propped his legs up on the couch, taking care not to spill his drink.

"You're leaving? When?"

"The semester ends before Christmas, basically by mid-December," Blake said, taking a sip of his drink. "And then I'm off to Ireland to go study with their team. I'm actually thinking about being a professional Quidditch coach instead of a player. And they've seen my class grades and my education so they seem interested in me. It pays really good too."

"It sounds like a good deal," Harry said, moving his bangs out of his eyes. "Will you miss it here?"

Blake shrugged. "Yeah, it was a good school. Why, you gonna miss me?" he grinned.

"Yeah," Harry admitted instantly.

He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol that made him confident enough to say that or not but he did. Blake gently set his drink down and stared at him seriously.

"Harry," Blake said softly, scooting closer to him.

"Yeah?" Harry asked.

Blake didn't answer right away and instead moved until he was right next to him. Harry didn't really think about the situation at all or why he suddenly put his legs down and began to lean forward. Blake suddenly was so close that Harry could smell him, whether it was his shampoo or cologne. The other boy's warm breath was on his face and Harry stared up at him. He wasn't really drunk so he knew what was going on but at the same time he wasn't really analyzing the situation—he just let it happen. Blake raised a hand and brushed the back of his knuckles gently across Harry's cheek. Slowly, Harry brought up his own hand and placed it over the other boy's. Immediately, Blake leaned down and captured Harry's lips with his own.

The lips upon his were warm and much more intense than Ambreen's. Blake tilted his head, bringing his hand to the back of Harry's neck to pull him closer. Harry's eyes had instantly shut and kissed back fervently, moving his own arms to around Blake's neck. Soon their tongues were clashing and their noses were brushing up against one another's as their heads tilted at different angles to get a better feel. Blake's other arm moved to Harry's back and began caressing him through his silk shirt. Harry continued to kiss him passionately, letting their tongues rove over the other and feeling his stomach squirm in appreciation. The warm hand on his back slipped beneath his shirt and raked up his bare back.

Harry let out a sound in the back of his throat and pushed his body closer. Blake immediately helped to push him even closer until their chests touched and both their arms were around the other. Harry's fingers raked through Blake's hair as their moist lips caressed and sucked and their tongues continued to spar. Soon the two broke away for air and Harry was practically panting. He licked his lips, which were red from their intense kissing. Blake kept his arms around him and grinned a second later.

"That was amazing," he said quietly.

Harry, who was still trying to comprehend that he had made-out with him and really enjoyed it, nodded.

"Yeah," he said, still breathless.

Blake ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "What do you say you be my boyfriend until I leave?"

Harry stared up at him, their noses still inches apart. "Won't it be harder to say goodbye if we become a couple?"

"Perhaps, but I'd rather have experienced this with you than not," Blake said, brushing his lips across Harry's before planting a full kiss down. "I've had a crush on you since I first saw you at the party. And when you stripped too…God," Blake smiled. "I've seen your picture in the Daily Prophet in the past, but I never imagined you'd become this beautiful."

It was hard to keep eye contact with such a compliment. Harry wasn't very good with taking compliments but he managed a small smile.

"Er, thanks."

Blake grinned. "So, what do you say?"

"So, er, you want us to be temporary boyfriends then?" Harry asked, not completely understanding.

"Yeah," Blake said, moving the hand beneath Harry's shirt as he caressed his skin. "I know once I move that far away I'll be very busy and I couldn't guarantee not having flings or anything out there. That's just how I am. Trust me, I wish we had met earlier in life but being with you for a few months would be better than not having you at all. I have to be honest with you though. I'm still getting over my last boyfriend who I was with for almost two years. And while he wasn't as beautiful as you are, you might even be someone I'm using as a distraction. But I don't only like you for your looks," Blake said sincerely.

"Or my fame?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows jokingly.

Blake grinned. "Well, I can't deny it'd be great to brag to everyone that I got to make-out with the famous Harry Potter, but those are definitely not the only reasons I like you, Harry. I promise you that. And hey, this way I can still be your experimentation to make sure you're one hundred percent gay," he winked.

Harry let out a soft laugh, glancing down briefly. When he looked back up, he saw Blake's shining blue eyes and shrugged. What the heck; if it didn't work out it was alright since it was temporary. And this way he would have some experience with a guy to know if he enjoyed it more or not. Since he knew it was temporary, he probably wouldn't get too attached but he was actually feeling pretty comfortable around the older boy. They had been acquainted friends after all.

"Alright," Harry smiled. "But I have to warn you that I don't deal very well with emotions. Er, at least with girls I don't. I'm not sure how I'd be as a boyfriend."

"Don't worry, you're a great kisser. What more is there?" Blake winked again, bending down to kiss him.

Harry closed his eyes and almost groaned at the warm feeling against his lips. The hand on his back slid further up and Harry knew he was definitely enjoying Blake way more than Ginny. It would still be nice for him to experience having a boyfriend for a little while though. And perhaps it would even help him forget the weird feelings he'd been having about Malfoy.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Jonadark: **Wow, such a long review, thanks! Yeah, Draco's being an ass, but we can't expect our arrogant blond to turn nice in a flash, right:-) Oh don't worry, as you can see Harry's giving Blake a shot. I'm not using Blake for exactly the reason that most people might think, but it IS for a good reason. Trust me. Oh don't worry, much sense will be knocked into Draco eventually, but it won't be easy. And there will still be much frustration with him, but very slowly he'll begin to change. Lol! Oh, about the title? BOTH actually will be captivated by each other. It's slowly starting to show. In Harry it's a little more obvious right now, but you'll get to see more Draco-action soon enough. My commitment to some stories lacks too, so don't feel like you're the only one. I'll update very shortly! Thanks again!

**Vegetas-littleprincess07: **Thank you very much! I'll update shortly!

**Frogginginsanity: **Thank you:-)

**Arya: **Oh don't worry, this should be finished soon enough. I've been updating every few days so you won't have to wait long.

**Nixie02: **Don't worry, I've been updating every few days so I won't make you wait long! AHHH! Pink bunnies! The horror:-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Bet you don't feel so sorry for Blake now, right:P Yep, Harry got an eye-full of Draco's arse, but still has yet to see the good parts, lol! Have no fear, Rita will show her beetle-face eventually. :-) Lol! Ginny will try and get Harry stuck but so far she hasn't succeeded so you'll just have to see what happens. MUAHAHA! I'll update shortly!

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Oh good, I'm so glad you like seeing your name here, lol! It's easier to reply to people directly through chapters if they have questions and also to show them my appreciation of feed-back. :-) Well, you got your wish! Harry is going to experiment with Blake! It's for a very good reason, not necessarily in the exact way people might think.

**Fudgebaby: **Thanks!

**Meka: **Lol! Oh yes, Blake wasn't about to give up his chance at kissing a slightly drunk Harry. Don't worry though, Harry's interested in him. You will see what happens with Malfoy. Have no fear, the Harry/Draco action is building up—it will come eventually.

**Dragenphly: **Yes, Draco loves giving Harry such a hard time. He likes seeing him all riled-up. :-) Well, you got your wish! Harry is experimenting with Blake for a little while. It's not for the exact reason people seem to think though. Tehehehe!

**Branwen777: **Aw, thanks! That makes me happy to know:-)

**Numero uno: **Well, it's not really a gay school, since there are girls and straight couples. I'm just not mentioning them because they're not important at all. I did state in the prologue, under the warning, that this will have male/male action and it focuses on Draco/Harry. If you don't like that you don't have to read it.

**Ashes of Stars: **Thank you!

**Jeje: **Lol! Don't worry, I've been updating every few days so I hope to keep that up. :-)

**C.Khafre: **Thanks very much! I'm glad they're not OOC. :-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Ah yes, Draco is slowly, SLOWLY going to show some feeling. With Harry it's a little more obvious since it's in his P.O.V. but don't worry, you'll get your Draco/Harry action soon enough. And Blake is for a use that's not exactly obvious right now. :-)

**Pixie9: **Oh, thanks so much! I'm glad you're liking this. There will still be much suspense, but don't worry the Draco/Harry goodness will come!


	9. Birthday Surprises part 2

Captivation

**Captivation **

_Author's Note:__ Okay, so there's a bit of Harry/Blake in this story, but I promise it's not for much longer. __**The Draco/Harry action is coming up very shortly**__!! So have no fear! But our dear Blake is going to make the transition much easier for them! :-)_

**Chapter 8: Birthday Surprises (part 2)**

Harry didn't know how long he and Blake stayed on the couch with tongues in each other's mouths and hands beneath each other's shirts, but when they finally took a breather Harry realized he was getting turned on. He wasn't ready for sex yet and there was no way he was going to give his virginity to Blake, being since they wouldn't be together long anyway, but kissing and touching was fine. Blake trailed his fingers through Harry's hair again and pulled him in for another quick kiss.

"I've got to go to the bathroom, but I won't be long," he grinned.

Harry smiled. "Alright. I'll go get us some more drinks."

"Good idea," Blake said, shaking his bottle. It was practically empty.

The older boy leaned down for another kiss and Harry shut his eyes momentarily, feeling the soft, warm lips upon his passionately. Then Blake stood up and walked toward the portrait which had a hidden toilet behind it. Harry heaved himself off the couch, feeling rather content and he was sure it wasn't just from the alcohol. He could still hear the cheers from the Entranced or Cursed game and he passed by to see Liam stripping for everyone. Harry smiled, thankful that everyone seemed to forget about him stripping. It was all well because he didn't want to.

The table still had quite a few drinks but there weren't any Red Rose bottles left so Harry picked up two Black Dragons. As he turned around, he suddenly jolted as he saw Malfoy standing nearby with crossed arms. He had a sly smirk on his face and he seemed mildly drunk (it was hardly noticeable except for the fact that he knew the blond wouldn't hold off on drinking).

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes a bit. "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Nothing, Potter," Malfoy drawled sarcastically. He slowly approached the table, reaching out to grab his own Black Dragon. "Who's the second one for?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "It's for Blake, Malfoy. And why would you care to know? You've got your own."

The blond smirked widely and Harry was certain there was something he was hiding.

"Really, well I couldn't help but notice that you aren't over there enjoying your own party," Malfoy's lips curled around the bottle as he took a sip. "And I noticed Blake's not there either."

"He's in the bathroom right now, if you need to see him," Harry said coolly, not understanding what was up with him.

The blond crossed his arms with the bottle in hand and tilted his head. "You know, Potter, if you want to keep your private life a secret you shouldn't expose yourself in public hallways."

_Public hall…?_

It suddenly triggered a flashback in his brain and Harry knew exactly what Malfoy was referring to. The blond must have seen Blake kiss him the other day. Why he hadn't gone around spreading rumors was beyond him, but it was clear he wanted to embarrass Harry with it. At first, a surge of anger flowed within him at the blond for spying. It passed a moment later when he realized that it really was no big deal. He had been kissed in a rather public spot for anyone to see and already half of the people there knew he was gay and no one seemed to mind.

Harry crossed his arms and gave the blond a calm look. "If you're referring to the fact that I'm gay, Malfoy don't think you're the first one to know. More than half of the people here know that already. You're actually close to the last one to know. It's really not a big deal and I don't care who knows. Even the Daily Prophet," Harry said.

Malfoy's smirk didn't seem to fade and he uncrossed his arms. "How touching. And is Blake your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, actually," Harry said as Malfoy's smirk morphed into a mildly surprised expression.

"If you'll excuse me," Harry said as he wheeled around and headed back to the couch.

Blake was already waiting there and he smiled as he saw Harry approach with new drinks.

"Here," Harry said, handing him one.

"Thanks," Blake said, grinning. "Hey, come closer."

Harry scooted closer and Blake wrapped an arm around practically pulling him into his lap. Harry understood what he wanted and turned his body so his back was resting against Blake's chest. The older boy moved his legs so that Harry sat in between them, resting back against him. Then the older boy rested his head back against the couch as the two sat comfortably in the close position.

"Are you coming to the party tomorrow?" Blake asked, smoothing back Harry's bangs.

Harry sighed contently as he took a sip of his drink. He shook his head apologetically and tilted his head up to glance at him.

"No, I promised my friends I would celebrate it with them. I'm going over to my friend Ron's house tomorrow, but I should be back no later than ten or eleven that night."

Blake gave him a small smile and took a gulp of his drink, keeping his fingers sliding through Harry's hair.

"It won't be the same without you."

"I'll just be gone a day," Harry smiled in amusement. "You sound like a school girl who's lost her prince or something."

Blake snorted and let out a laugh. "I do not. I just want to use what limited time we have to spend with you."

"You can. If we don't get time to hang out tomorrow then how about Sunday?"

"Alright. I'll take you out to Hogsmeade. And how about I come sit with you during breakfast, lunch and dinner?" he raised his eyebrows while smiling.

"Sure," Harry agreed, giving him a smile in return.

"What time do you have to get up tomorrow?" Blake asked quietly.

"Er, I have to be there by ten so probably nine at the latest."

"Hmm," Blake smiled. "Well, I don't want to keep you up too late. Can you stay up until one?"

Harry nodded. "Sounds good."

At that moment, people started walking around as the next round of the game ended. A couple of the guys whistled at them as they passed on their way back to their common room. They wished Harry a happy birthday and he thanked them with a smile. They were guys that he was vaguely acquainted with from the Jade Common Room. Seconds later, before Harry could tilt his head upward and ask Blake for a kiss, Draco appeared in front of them. Harry glanced at him hiding his surprise.

"What's up Malfoy?" Blake grinned, keeping his arm around Harry.

"Tavis is looking for you," Malfoy said, crossing his arms casually. "He said something about a deal you made."

"Ah shit, that's right," Blake rolled his eyes.

"What deal?" Harry asked, as Blake began to sit up.

Blake sighed irritably. "I forgot I made a deal before the party because we played Wizard Chess the last time and I lost so I owed him a favor. If he gets a dare he doesn't want to do while playing Entranced or Cursed, I have to do it for him."

Harry grinned. "I hope it's a good one."

Blake laughed softly and kissed the side of Harry's neck. "I'll be right back after I humiliate myself."

He slipped from under Harry who just gave him a smile, ignoring Malfoy for the moment.

"Have fun," Harry grinned, resting his back against the arm rest while propping his legs up onto the couch.

Blake disappeared into the crowd and Harry's eyes traveled to Malfoy who was still standing there with his arms crossed. Harry took another sip of his drink.

"What's the matter? Have you never seen a gay couple before?"

Malfoy snorted. "Of course I have, Potter. I just never figured you'd be gay. It would be interesting to see how people react if it's put in the Daily Prophet."

The blond began acting like himself again, giving him a smirk. Harry shrugged, not letting the idea bother him.

"Go right ahead. Although I should warn you that by you accusing me in the paper people might just think you're a spoiled brat trying to get back at me. Besides, no one ever believes what Rita Skeeter writes," Harry said.

Sneering at him darkly, Malfoy just snorted. "Please Potter, I wouldn't waste my time."

Harry was a bit surprised by that comment, but he shrugged it off. "Alright."

The blond stared at him and smirked again. "So Potter, if you're gay why did you go out with Weasle's little sister?"

"I didn't know I was gay then and it wasn't like I decided to go out with her," Harry admitted truthfully (probably due to the alcohol). "She just assumed we were an item after I got over-excited one day and kissed her. I broke up with her shortly after though."

Malfoy stared at him nonchalantly and Blake appeared seconds later. As he moved back to his position behind Harry, Malfoy just glanced at them and walked away.

"What'd you have to do?" Harry asked, tilting his head upward.

Blake grinned and leaned down to kiss him. "I just had perform a lap dance in my underwear."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "And Tavis isn't drunk enough to have done that?"

"Well, it was for a girl he particularly doesn't like. Her name's Leigha; you might have seen her. She's got a very stuck-up personality and it shows in the way she constantly puts so much make-up on and tosses her hair every five seconds. She's really aggravating. Plus, she thinks all guys think she's hot but the truth is that although she might be fairly pretty, no one would ever get with her because of the way she sniffs all the time as if she's surrounded by inferior beings."

"I hate girls like that," Harry crinkled his nose.

"Yeah, me too. I remember I had my first girlfriend at twelve. She was a horrible kisser and thought that she was the greatest thing on Earth. I broke up with her because she almost chewed my dick off when trying to give me a blow-job," he shook his head with a smile.

"You were _twelve_ when she gave you a blow-job?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Yep. I was one of those boys who started to have wet-dreams by age eleven. Don't know why, really but eventually after being dared to kiss a boy at fourteen I figured it was much better than girls. I did date girls for a little while longer, and boys too, but I really prefer guys."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I sort of had a girlfriend a little while ago. She's my friend Ron's younger sister. I really didn't want to date her, but she decided we were item when I kissed her without thinking. It wasn't that I meant to kiss her romantically, it's just that I was so happy I had survived thus far and she was just…right there," Harry gestured with his hands. "I probably would've kissed a boy too if one had been standing there."

"So how'd you get rid of her?" Blake asked curiously.

"Well, gee after she practically tried to force me to have sex," Harry drawled with a roll of his eyes, "I told her I didn't have feelings for her."

Blake almost dropped his drink. "She tried to rape you? That bitch!"

"Er, no, no not rape," Harry said quickly. "I doubt she could've pinned me down, but she did force herself upon me, you know, trying to seduce me by making her touch her…and I was not only exhausted from not sleeping for three days in a row, but also I was in shock. I hadn't ever expected her to do that. But, I managed to get her off me," Harry said.

"Well good," Blake said, raking his hands along Harry's chest. "I guess you should get to bed soon, huh? It's almost one and people are starting to leave."

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "And I don't want to have a hangover in the morning. Ron's mom will definitely start bombarding me with questions if I act out-of-it."

Smiling, Blake nodded and began to sit up, helping Harry along with him.

"You know, since I'm going to that senior party I'm sure I'll be up well past the time you get home. Why don't you owl me shortly before you're going to leave and we can meet here."

"Sure," Harry nodded.

He stood up alongside Blake and was surprised when the other boy pulled him in for another passionate kiss. Harry responded instantly and wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck. They broke apart because of whistling and Harry turned to see Liam and Tavis grinning from ear to ear. Ambreen had already been helped up to her room because she had been too drunk to walk. There were only a few others there now who were staying since it was their common room anyway.

"Thanks for the party," Harry said, smiling (although his cheeks were a bit pink).

"No problem," Tavis winked.

Harry smiled at them and then made his way to his room. After he changed, he collapsed into bed, smiling up at the ceiling. Blake was a good first boyfriend. And it was also good that they had limited time so that way Harry wasn't worried about becoming intimate with him. Draco had seemed a bit surprised, but other than that he hadn't really made-fun of him or anything. Perhaps the boy was too drunk and tired to care. Despite having a temporary boyfriend now, Harry was still feeling a bit strange around Malfoy. It was an unusual feeling in the pit of his stomach—something he couldn't quite place yet. He figured it might just be because he hadn't seen the blond in some time and suddenly they were seeing each other constantly. Sighing, he went to sleep almost immediately.

When he woke up the next morning, he got dressed into the same outfit he wore at the party. It was still clean and he wanted to wear it again. Hermione would be happy since she liked the choice. Just thinking about seeing his friends again made him happy, although he was a bit nervous since he wanted to tell them he was gay. Instead of dwelling on it, Harry took his time getting ready then headed out on his brand new broom toward Ron's house. He knew the red-head wanted to ride it badly so Harry would use that as leverage when admitting his sexual preference (or at least that was his plan).

A little after ten he knocked on the door and Mrs. Weasley opened it, smothering him in a motherly hug. She dragged him inside, completely ecstatic and Harry saw that there was a magical blinking banner that read _HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY _in changing colors.

"Oh Harry, we're so happy you came," Mrs. Weasley cooed, smiling widely. "So tell me, how is the Quidditch school?"

"I love it," Harry smiled.

"Oh wonderful!" she smiled, pinching his cheek briefly. "Ron is on his way home with his brothers, but Hermione and Ginny are upstairs. Go right on ahead. The cake won't be done for another ten minutes."

Smiling, Harry nodded and trudged up the stairs. When he came to the room Hermione and Ginny normally shared when she stayed over, he hesitated before knocking.

"Come in."

Harry recognized it as Hermione's voice. He stepped inside cautiously and was relieved to find that she was alone.

"Harry! It's so good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug.

"You too," Harry smiled, shutting the door completely.

"So how is the school?" Hermione asked, sitting back down in a chair.

Harry summoned a chair for himself and smiled. "I love it, actually. It's great. I've met many new friends already. I'm sure Ron told you about Malfoy."

"He did, yes," she said, her smile fading. "He isn't giving you a real hard time is he?"

"Not really," Harry shrugged. "He's still got an attitude, but I think it has toned down a bit."

"That's a relief," Hermione smiled. "So have you met anyone special there?"

Harry felt his stomach jolt and knew this was the time. "Er, Hermione, there's something I have to tell you…about that."

"You met someone?" Hermione blinked, leaning forward.

"Well yes, but it's not what you might expect," Harry said, fiddling with his wand. "Er…it's a guy."

Hermione's eyes widened and her opened in a slight 'o' shape. Then she sat back in her chair to register the information.

"So you're…interested in men then?"

"Er, yeah. I sort of discovered that while I was there," Harry said, shifting awkwardly. "I know it's…unexpected, but I actually don't mind. And no one else there seems to mind either. I just…you know, I just thought you and Ron should know since you're my best friends."

Hermione's eyes softened and she smiled. "Well, I do have to say it's a bit of a shock, but it doesn't change us being friends. Ron might be a little hard-headed about it, but it's not that uncommon these days."

"I can't believe it!"

Harry felt his heart almost slam against his chest. He wheeled around to see Ginny standing in the doorway. She was very good at keeping quiet when listening in on conversations, as she had proven twice before.

"So this whole time you weren't even interested in me!" she exclaimed, stepping fully into the room with a look of hatred in her eyes.

"Ginny, it's not like that!" Harry exclaimed, standing up.

"Oh right! It's not?" she countered angrily.

"NO!" Harry bellowed suddenly, shocking both her and Hermione. "I didn't know I was gay when I was with you! I wouldn't have even gone out with you for a second if I had known!"

Ginny took in a deep breath, still fuming. "Still, Harry! If you had some idea you should've told me! How many guys have you slept with already?"

"NONE!" Harry shouted angrily. "I am still a virgin which is more than I can say for you!"

Hermione put a hand over her mouth in surprise and Ginny's mouth fell open. Harry glared at her harshly.

"I may have found out I'm gay, Ginny but I didn't use you nor did I try to force myself upon you like you did to me! Not to mention you're always complaining about who I end up with and my virginity and how you desperately wanted to take that away! And here you are trying to find a reason to call me a slut when I still have my virginity and you don't! When did you lose yours, huh? Fifteen? Sixteen?" Harry countered with clenched fists.

"Okay, Harry, calm down," Hermione said, standing up. "Both of you."

"He's got a good point, Gin," a voice said from behind.

Ginny wheeled around to see Fred, George and Ron standing there. Fred and George had similarly amused expressions while Ron was rigid with his mouth open and his eyes wide in shock, staring at Harry disbelieving.

"Yeah, you haven't been a virgin for some time now, right?" George wiggled his eyebrows.

"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" Ginny screeched. "My life is none of your business!"

"Ginny, you don't have to get all pissed off! You don't have a reason to," Harry exclaimed, stepping forward. "It's just a fact! You can't get mad at me for discovering my own sexuality! I was honest with you and I told you I had lost feeling and it wasn't because of a boy or girl it was because I just wanted to be friends with you!"

"I could've been the best girlfriend ever for you!" she shouted, her eyes filling with tears. "Do you know how long I waited for you to notice me?"

"You just wanted me for my fame and eventually my body!" Harry shouted, causing Hermione to flush red. "Over the years you just became obsessed with me! It wasn't love, it was lust! And I don't think I deserve to be dragged into a relationship that's based on something unromantic!"

"You're…gay?" Ron choked out, staring at him with wide eyes.

Harry clenched his fists angrily. "YES! I am! And I have a boyfriend right now too, Ron!"

Without another word, Harry distanced himself from Ginny and stomped out of the room. He really didn't need to have that sort of drama on his birthday. Fred and George moved aside right away, but Ron was still paralyzed in his spot unable to utter anything else. Harry stomped right past him and went to Ron's room. He slammed the door shut and collapsed onto the bed he used whenever sleeping over. Sighing heavily, he stared up at the ceiling. He really had hoped things wouldn't go so badly.

He stayed in the room for over fifteen minutes—that much he knew. Although he wanted to go downstairs, he also didn't want to face his friends. He was still angry and frustrated, especially since he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. He especially deserved to have a fresh start and be allowed to explore his interests. Ginny was just upset that she couldn't brag to anyone that she had taken away Harry Potter's virginity. That was all that had mattered to her—he had become an obsession, not a love-interest. Someone knocked on the door and Harry immediately turned over, hiding his face in his pillow.

The door opened and soft footsteps entered the room.

"Go away, Ron, I don't want to talk to you," Harry grumbled angrily, keeping his face away from the door.

Ron had especially angered him with how shocked he was, as if he had never before heard of a gay person. He knew Seamus was gay, so why was Harry being gay any different? Harry stifled a gasp when he felt the bed creak as Ron obviously sat down next to him. Harry didn't turn and face him but soon he felt a warm hand on his back.

Sitting up, Harry turned and was shocked to see Remus staring back at him. For a second, he just stared at him as if not really believing he was there.

"It's good to see you, Harry," Remus smiled softly. "Your friends told me you were upset and shut yourself up here. I thought I'd come and talk to you."

Harry was beyond shocked to see him. The man definitely didn't look as sickly as he had during the war when he was probably overcome by depression. He looked younger and had less gray-hair and his smile was sincere. Without warning, Harry flung himself at him and embraced him tightly. Remus was surprised and almost fell backward, but he caught himself. Rubbing Harry's back gently, the older man soothed him. Harry's anger dissipated instantly and he felt tears beginning to sting his eyes. He didn't let them fall, but Harry knew he had really missed the older man.

"I've missed you too," Remus said quietly as Harry pulled away to look at him.

"So you got my owl then?"

"Yes, I got it yesterday night. I'm sorry I didn't reply but I figured I'd see you soon anyway. I was busy with Nymphadora and still being the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts that I didn't open right away. I apologize. But I'm glad I got to see you again, especially on your birthday."

Biting his lip, Harry nodded gratefully. "So, are you and Tonks, I mean Nymphadora still together?"

Remus smiled and nodded. "Yes, so far so good. I admit I've wanted to check up on your for a while now. During the war I know it wasn't safe, but I worried about you constantly. I asked the Minister quite often if he knew what was going on with you, but you're a very strong person, Harry. I knew you could take care of yourself."

"Yeah," Harry said weakly.

"So, what are you doing up here on your birthday?"

Sighing heavily, Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "I got in a fight with Ginny, then yelled at Ron. I…told them I was gay and I guess it shocked them a bit."

Remus glanced at him, but Harry couldn't tell his reaction. He didn't seem surprised or as if it was obvious either.

"I see," he said quietly. "So their reaction to the news bothered you?"

"Yeah, I guess," Harry sighed. "Mostly it was Ginny. I mean, she and I were never really a serious couple, but since she had a crush on me for so long the moment I accidentally did something stupid and kissed her she automatically assumed she'd have me for life. I know it was partially my fault for leading her on, but I told her honestly I didn't have romantic feelings for her. And I explained it to her gently too, but she got all upset when she found out I was gay and thought I had lied to her all along, which I didn't. She was the one trying to force our non-existent relationship to a boundary I didn't want to cross," Harry explained.

Remus nodded in understanding. "You have every right to be attracted to whomever you choose, Harry."

"I know…," Harry sighed. "But I just thought that since Ron's family is like my second family and Hermione too that they'd just accept it faster. I didn't want to break the news on my birthday but I hate hiding things from them."

Remus reached over and patted his knee. "I'm sure they're fine with it, Harry. It could be that it was just a little shock, but it's nothing that could alter your friendship I'm sure."

"So, err, you're not…uncomfortable with me being gay?" Harry asked tentatively, staring up at him.

Immediately, Remus shook his head. "Not at all, Harry. In fact, this reminds me of when Sirius was younger."

Harry's heart strings tugged at the mention of his Godfather, but he was curious. "Really? Er, was Sirius gay?"

"Not really, I don't think, but he went through a sexual exploration phase during our school years. He experimented with both boys and girls and I believe he stuck with girls for the most part, but there was a time when he wasn't sure which he preferred. Who knows, maybe by the time he got out of Azkaban and began to start his life over he changed his mind again…I don't know," Remus glanced at him and smiled sadly. "I honestly didn't have much of a chance to sit down and catch up with him since the war was starting and he was running from the Ministry. It would've been nice to catch up, but it's all in the past now. You're alive and healthy and are growing up just fine. Your parents and Sirius would be very proud."

Harry smiled softly and glanced down. "Yeah. Did you hear about the school I'm going to?"

"I did, but tell me about it in detail on the way downstairs," Remus said, offering him his hand.

He helped Harry up and immediately he began to tell Remus quite a bit of things (leaving out the interesting occurrences with Malfoy). He told Remus about his temporary boyfriend even.

"So he'll be gone then?" Remus asked as they sat down at the table.

"Yeah, but it's fine because we're not really serious," Harry said. "And because we both know it's not a long-term thing, we're not going to get really attached."

"I see, well I suppose that's for the best," Remus smiled genuinely.

Harry didn't realize his friends were seated at the table. Ginny kept her head down through most of the dinner, but Hermione cast him apologetic smiles (even though she hadn't done anything to upset him). Once dinner was over, Harry went upstairs to freshen up before getting ready for cake and presents. As he was fixing his hair, Ron came into the room shifting nervously.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hey," Harry answered.

The two stood awkwardly in front of each other and slowly Ron put out his hand. Harry blinked down at it.

"Look, I'm sorry I reacted badly. I thought about it and it's really no big deal. It's not like you've changed at all. So I was hoping you'd accept my apology."

Smiling, Harry ignored the hand and embraced his friend. Ron awkwardly patted his back and Harry pulled away.

"Of course, thank you. Oh! After dessert would you like to try out my new broom?"

Ron's eyes widened in excitement and the awkwardness was forgotten. "Bloody hell! I can't wait!"

Dessert was much more enjoyable and Harry also enjoyed the gifts he received. Some of them were Quidditch supplies and others were things like more of Fred and George's new creations. Hermione surprised him by getting him a professional Quidditch guide with moving pictures of famous plays and teams that he could watch instead of an ordinary book.

After dessert all the boys went outside to test Harry's broom (including Bill who was visiting that weekend). None of them really seemed to care anymore that he was gay once the shock wore off. Even Ron was fine with it (unless, Ron said, Harry ever felt romantic about him. Harry just laughed it off and Ron even looked a bit offended). Ginny still wouldn't talk to him for a while. Hermione had apparently given her a lecture about not holding grudges or blaming Harry for telling the truth about his feelings. So by the end of the evening she reluctantly apologized for her behavior. Harry accepted it and knew that things wouldn't ever really be the same between them, but he still considered her a friend.

It was time to leave a little after ten. Harry sent a quick Owl to Blake, letting him know. His friends gave him several hugs (except for Ron who still was embarrassed about hugging in front of anyone—he wanted to appear "manly" and all). Remus especially held him tightly and Harry promised to keep in touch on a regular basis. Smiling, Remus ruffled his hair gently.

"I look forward to it. Take care, Harry. And I'm very proud of you for getting accepted at this academy."

Harry hugged him once more and then took off, waving goodbye to everyone. He was in much higher spirits as he headed back to the academy. Flying in the air as fast as his broom would go also cheered him up. It was like riding a smooth-sailing roller coaster high up near the clouds. Ron had been so impressed by the broom he hadn't wanted to get off. It was the same with his brothers and they told Harry perhaps over the holidays when he visited again they'd have a Quidditch match.

He flew back inside of the castle, feeling right at home. He headed up to his common room and wasn't too surprised to see Blake sitting on the couch waiting for him.

"Hey, did you wait long?" Harry asked.

"Not at all," Blake grinned, approaching him. He reached out and cupped Harry's face, pulling him in for a kiss.

Harry closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the older boy's back. Blake held him close and tilted his head as they continued to kiss. He tasted of Black Dragon and Red Rose. There was no doubt the other boy had been drinking at the senior party. Harry didn't really feel jealous or worried that he had made-out with other people. He wondered if it was because he knew their relationship was temporary or if he really wasn't in love with Blake but was interested in him enough to experiment. Once they broke apart, Blake smiled at him.

"I was wondering, Harry," Blake whispered, leaning down to kiss his neck. "If you'd mind if we went to your room."

Harry's heart skipped a beat and almost instantly he felt his chest tighten. Did the other boy want to take their relationship farther? Harry was definitely not ready for that. Blake glanced down at him and smiled.

"I just think we'd have more privacy in case someone comes in here."

"Oh, er, right," Harry said.

He led the other boy toward his room and made sure to put away his broom carefully. When he turned around Blake wrapped him in such a tight embrace Harry hardly had any room to move. The other boy kissed him, slipping his tongue inside his mouth once more. Harry groaned softly at the feel and didn't notice Blake's hand beneath his shirt right away. The older boy leaned him backward, tilting his neck back, as he deepened their open-mouthed kiss. Their tongues slid along one another, sparring and caressing and soon Harry felt his legs hit the back of the bed. He panicked as he fell over and Blake landed on top of him.

"Blake," Harry protested, putting his hands on the older boy's chest.

Blake took his hands and kissed them. "I was just getting tired of standing. I'm sorry—you must think I'm coming on too strongly again."

"Er, a little," Harry said, sitting up. "I just…I don't, er…like going too fast. I, er…usually am not intimate with people unless I've been with them for a while," he said awkwardly.

The older boy nodded and gave him another smile. "I understand. Don't worry, mate. I won't push your boundaries like that girl did with you. I just want to snog a bit."

Harry smiled at the slang term and nodded. It was a British term, which meant perhaps Blake was from England and not from Scotland, but it really didn't matter either way. He was prepared when Blake bent down again and placed his body completely on Harry's. The other boy, Harry noticed, had a slight erection (either due to the alcohol, kissing or most likely both) but the older boy had promised not to go any further so he wasn't concerned.

Their kissing began again and Harry wrapped his arms around the older boy as they lay on the bed. Blake slid his tongue from Harry's mouth and began kissing his neck. Harry's body was beginning to react to the soft touches beneath his shirt on his bare back and the pleasurable sucking on his neck. His breathing was even becoming a bit harsher.

"You like this?" Blake whispered in his ear, sucking on his earlobe.

"Yeah," Harry breathed softly.

"Would you be against me feeling?" Blake asked, moving his head to stare down at him.

Harry blinked. "Er…"

"I promise if you want me to stop I will," he said sincerely.

Slowly, Harry nodded and Blake bent down back to his neck. It was only seconds later when Harry found out what the other boy meant. As he sucked on both sides of Harry's neck and under his earlobes, Blake trailed his hand across his velvet black pants until he reached his crotch. Harry's breath caught in his throat when the older boy cupped him through his pants and squeezed gently. The sensation caused Harry's stomach to flutter as more heat flowed to his groin. Blake could obviously feel his slight erection and although it wasn't poking out noticeably when the older boy's finger squeezed him, he could clearly feel it.

"Oh good, you do like what I'm doing," Blake breathed quietly. "I was worried you weren't enjoying yourself," he winked.

Harry felt his cheeks heated up instantly and Blake leaned back down for a passionate kiss. His fingers remained between Harry's legs; in fact, he began to caress him consistently.

"Does this feel good?" Blake asked after slowly breaking their kiss.

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Can you feel it?" he asked, squeezing gently.

"Er, yeah," Harry flushed.

Blake smiled down at him and removed his hand. "You know, you could feel it a lot better if you took off your pants."

Harry swallowed thickly. "Er…I don't know, Blake…we just met and…"

Blake cocked his head slightly. "I know, but you were referring to sex right?"

"Er…," Harry hesitated uncertainly. He had thought that's what Blake had wanted. "Yeah."

"I promise I'm not trying to get you to have sex with me," Blake said as Harry felt his face heat up. "Just a bit of touching and making out," he said huskily. The older boy kissed his lips again. "I promise if it doesn't feel good and you want me to stop, I will."

Feeling his throat constrict, Harry nodded since he was unable to speak. He had never before been touched by anyone (except for Ginny but she didn't really count). And rubbing up against Draco's knee didn't count since both of them had been clothed. Blake smiled and kissed him once more before he moved his eyes and his hands to Harry's pants. He unbuttoned them then slid the zipper down. Harry's heart was beating faster and faster as Blake began easing his tight pants down off his hips. Blake slid his pants completely off and threw them on the bed next to them. Now, Harry was clad in only his black boxers, which went down to the middle of his thighs.

Blake was staring down at his boxers and his crotch (though his slight erection wasn't noticeable), but he smiled up at him. Then he leaned back down and coaxed him into another kiss that slowly built up. Harry's muscles tensed when he felt Blake's hand on his thigh about where his boxers ended. As Blake slipped his tongue between Harry's lips, his hand suddenly moved and ghosted over his crotch. Harry's heart pounded and he felt his stomach quiver again as he clearly felt the warm hand cup his penis gently. His gasp was muffled in the kiss as the hand squeezed just a bit. It was definitely more intense than just rubbing through clothing for it sent immediate waves of tingly pleasure up his spine and throughout his groin.

Blake began to rub his length through the boxers and cupped the sacs beneath his growing erection as well. Harry's hands unconscious gripped Blake's shirt tightly as the boy's hand continued to caress his crotch. Harry's head tilted back suddenly, breaking their kiss as he released a soft groan. Blake's hand had grabbed his crotch completely and he began moving his hand forward and back, causing friction that heightened Harry's desire. The older boy was definitely experienced, Harry realized. Not that he was surprised, but he was suddenly realizing how little he actually knew about sexual feelings concerning his own body.

Harry unconsciously moved his hips upward, feeling his erection thickening as he became more and more aroused. Blake was breathing deeply by his ear and he kissed his way over Harry's ear, onto his cheek and back to his lips where their tongues immediately clashed. Harry's hips were now moving of their own accord as the friction increased. His engorged cock was very sensitive now and almost completely hard. Harry groaned deeply in his throat, shutting his eyes instantly as Blake's hand slipped down inside his boxers and wrapped around his erection.

The feeling was indescribable as Harry arched up into the touch. Out of reaction, Harry unconsciously spread his legs apart even wider, giving the older boy better access as he stroked his fingers along Harry's shaft. The younger boy was so enraptured by the stronger desires he hardly noticed the hard erection poking against his stomach. Harry was breathing heavily, almost panting now and Blake was kissing and licking up his neck as he continued to stroke. His fingers rubbed against the tip of Harry's penis where pre-cum was already dripping out. The skin on the tip was surprisingly even more sensitive than his entire shaft.

Harry groaned deeply and thrust his hips against Blake's hand. The older boy's fingers released his shaft and suddenly dipped down to his soft sacs where he fondled them. Harry's hips arched up instantly and he tilted his head back as he released his orgasm. He was in such a groggy and euphoric state that Harry hardly registered Blake waving his wand to clean him up or him trying to help Harry into bed. As Blake slowly began bringing Harry toward his pillows, Harry felt the hard shaft against his leg and he blinked out of his trance.

"Er…," Harry said, stopping him. "What about you?"

Blake stared at him and raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to? You don't have to; I could always masturbate by myself."

Harry felt guilt rise within him and he felt his stomach churn in anxiety. "I could do what you did to me."

Grinning, Blake immediately lay down on top of the sheets, settling his head on Harry's pillow. Although he was very nervous, and disappointed that he wasn't drunk, Harry began undoing Blake's jeans. He pulled them down and noticed the erection poking through his briefs. Unlike Harry, he wore tight briefs which showed every curve of his cock. Harry felt his face flush, but he hid his embarrassment as he reached out a hand and began stroking the hard shaft. Blake groaned loudly, moving his hips and Harry looked around nervously to make sure no one had heard. Harry continued to stroke and tried to mimic what Blake did to him. He cupped the sacs beneath Blake's crotch and the other boy hissed with pleasure.

"Merlin yes…," Blake groaned. "God touch me Harry."

Harry felt his whole body tense with embarrassment. "What?"

Blake grabbed Harry's hand and pushed the hand through the opening of his boxers. Harry's body jerked in surprise as his hand touched Blake's erection. Harry squeezed it, not knowing what else to do. Blake arched his back upward and moved his hips again. Harry continued to squeeze and stroke, feeling the pulse of the erection. It was strange and yet Harry was beginning to feel aroused again. He was curious and nervous at the same time.

Without warning, Blake yanked his briefs down and his thick erection popped up. It was Harry's first time seeing another boy's erection and he stared at it uncertainly. Blake's eyes opened and he stared down at Harry and not looking Blake in the eyes, Harry automatically placed his hand on the erection again and began stroking. Blake's eyes closed and he groaned softly. Harry continued to do the same thing and realized that Blake wasn't coming to climax. Nervously, he decided to try something else. He used his other hand and placed it hesitantly on Blake's bare sacs, rubbing the soft skin gently.

"Fuck yes!" Blake hissed as he spread his legs apart and thrust his hips upward.

Harry was shocked by the reaction, but he continued to do that. He watched as the erection bulged and the main vein that was visible seemed to capture his attention. It led all the way to the tip and Harry noticed that thin, white liquid was dripping out of Blake's penis. Harry uncertainly wrapped one hand around Blake's shaft and moved his hand up then down.

"God…Harry…suck me please."

The request was so unexpected that Harry stopped all movement. His heart raced in his chest and he felt his body tense nervously. "Er…Blake, I…I've never done that and…"

Blake opened his eyes and he seemed in a daze. His erection was still pulsing and dripping pre-cum and the boy seemed to want Harry to get even more intimate.

"Then…rub against me," Blake pleaded, spreading his legs apart.

Harry tried not to stare at the erection and his entire body tensed. What did that mean exactly?

"Er…what do you want me to do?"

"Get on top of me," Blake said, a little out of breath. He craned his neck to stare at Harry.

Feeling incredibly out of place, Harry got up and approached Blake, leaning over him.

"Put your legs on either side," Blake said, grabbing hold of Harry's legs.

Harry awkwardly got up above Blake and the older boy pushed Harry's legs apart so he was straddling Blake's thighs. Harry was still only in his boxers, since Blake took off his pants, and he wasn't sure what to do.

"Scoot up," Blake said, spreading his legs again.

Harry got the idea and he knew what Blake wanted. Swallowing, Harry reluctantly moved forward. He was uncomfortable because of his lack of experience and while he was slightly aroused he was still uncertain. Still…a part of him was curious and another part of him knew that he shouldn't leave Blake unsatisfied after telling him he'd do the same thing, but…he hoped Blake wasn't getting the wrong idea about their relationship.

Blake helped moved him forward until Harry felt Blake's hard erection pressed against his own crotch. Harry felt his stomach flip at first, but then a part of him became a bit aroused. Blake suddenly began thrusting his hips and Harry felt the hard shaft rub against his own crotch. Even through his boxers he felt the friction of it. His body jerked forward unexpectedly and Harry instantly placed his hands on Blake's chest for balance. Harry felt their erections rubbing and his breathing became more shallow. He was still uncomfortable, being on top of Blake, but his body was becoming aroused. Blake groaned loudly, thrusting upward and then reached out to grab Harry's hips.

"God…yes…harder!" he hissed as he thrust upward.

Harry felt his own penis begin to get hard again and unconsciously he moved his hips as Blake did. The friction was unbelievable and suddenly reminded him of when Malfoy's knee had been pressed against his crotch. Remembering that moment, Harry pushed forward, pressing his hardening crotch against Blake's as they rubbed together. A low groan tore from Harry's throat and he felt excitement bubble inside his stomach. Blake cursed loudly and suddenly Harry felt something hot and wet get onto his legs.

Blake stopped moving, arching his back upward and then he panted breathlessly. Harry's breathing was shallow still too and he got off of Blake. The other boy sat up and smiled widely.

"That was brilliant. We definitely have to do this again," Blake grinned, turning over on his side.

"Er, yeah," Harry said as his cheeks heated up again. He couldn't believe what he just did. It felt really good, but at the same time he didn't want to give Blake the wrong impression.

"You hard again?" Blake asked as his eyes darted down to Harry's crotch. "I could give you a blow-job."

"Er…I…it's really okay," Harry said quickly, feeling his whole face heat up again. His hands began to get clammy out of nerves.

"Come on, Harry, you'll enjoy it. And I promise I'll take care of that for you," Blake said, smiling seductively as he gestured to Harry's small erection. He had begun to get aroused again because of all the new intense feelings, but he didn't want to go too far.

"I don't know…I don't want to move too fast, especially since…you know, we won't be together that long," Harry said awkwardly, feeling more exposed than he ever had before.

"Don't worry, I promise just a blow-job. Nothing more," Blake said. "If you don't like just tell me to stop and I'll leave, alright?"

Harry stared at him uncertainly. There was a part of him that was curious as to what a blow-job felt like, but he was also concerned that things were going way too fast between them, and much farther than Harry had wanted.

"Er…really, it's okay. I should probably get to bed anyway."

"You sure? I'm confident I'm good with my mouth," he said winking.

Harry covered his embarrassment by looking away briefly. "Er, yeah, I'm tired."

Blake seemed to get the hint and he just shrugged and smiled. "Well, I've had fun tonight, Harry."

Harry glanced at him awkwardly and gave him a half-smile, still feeling embarrassed. Harry nodded in agreement, unsure of what to say. Blake slid off the bed, waved his wand to clean up any signs of their activities and then he got dressed.

"See you tomorrow," he said, glancing back at him before he walked out.

Harry sighed heavily and slumped back onto his bed after Blake left. It had been awkward and arousing at the same time, but he definitely didn't want to lose his virginity to Blake. And that was more intimacy than Harry had expected for one night. True, it was nice being able to experiment, but he didn't want to go much farther. Thinking about that made him think about Malfoy again. He really hoped that Blake wouldn't tell anyone about what they did. He was more concerned about Malfoy finding out he was intimate with Blake. If that happened, he wasn't sure how the blond would react.

"Why should I care what Malfoy thinks?" Harry whispered aloud.

Sighing, he turned over and tried to get some sleep.

To Reviewers: 

**Redmeadow:** Lol! Don't worry, Blake is going to be the nice transition for Harry to go to Draco. You'll see how it works out. And I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the Ambreen bit. I put it in there just for a little entertainment. Just because Harry's gay doesn't mean he can't enjoy a fun game of Entranced or Cursed. And since this isn't an all boys' school, I decided to show some of the girls. I thought it might be interesting to get a feel of the other non-important characters a bit too, at least while Harry is coming to grips with his sexuality and feelings. But don't worry, no more feeling up Ambreen. :-)

**Kayla: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you like this! Lol! I know everyone desperately wants Harry and Draco together soon, but it has to be a realistic transition. Don't worry, it's not too far off now. Oh no! This isn't going to be a very long story at all. In fact, Blake's going to be leaving fairly shortly now. I will update asap!

**C.Khafre: **Lol! You're welcome! My summer class ended so I have had more time. I'd like to finish this before classes start up again in September. Yes, college is fun, huh? You basically have NO TIME for life. Lol! I know everyone's dying to have Draco and Harry together. It will come soon, promise!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Lol! Well, what did you think of Draco's reaction to Harry telling him about Blake? I'm not making things extremely obvious about Draco because this is in Harry's P.O.V. so you only get a feel of Draco's feelings through Harry. But don't worry, there is much more to come between those two!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Lol! I'll get the next chapter out asap! Glad you like this so far!

**Skittlelove: **Aw, thanks so much! I'm very pleased to hear that you like the plot. I know I've read many Draco/Harry stories out there with basically NO plot and Draco suddenly becomes all sweet and "I love Harry"-ish. Lol! I decided I got sick of trying to find good HP slash and wanted to write one of my own. But I have found a couple good ones. I also recommend a story called: Secrets of the Forbidden Broomcloset. It's another Draco/Harry on . It's under my favorites so check it out. :-) I'm glad you like Blake. Oh no, no, I can reassure you Blake's not going to get in the way of Draco and Harry. In fact, he's not going to be around much longer. Yeah, I'm shocked that I've been updating every couple of days. This is a record for me! I plan on having this finished by September.

**Dragenphly: **Oh goody, I'm so glad you like Blake. That's what I was hoping for. And yes, it IS convenient he has to leave. In fact, he'll be gone very shortly, which will leave our dear Harry single. :-) Can't have that, now can we?

**The Earth Mystic: **Oh yes, our dear Blake is helping Harry figure out his sexuality, but have no fear! Harry is not going to give himself to him, especially since he'll be leaving soon. Blake is really the transition for Harry to Draco. You'll see. And no, Blake is not using Harry. :-)

**Branwen777: **Lol! I know, it is true isn't it? I'm glad someone feels a little sorry for Ambreen. I wanted to put some girls in here so that people can see it's obviously not an all boys' school. But also Harry can be friends with girls and boys, he just prefers dating boys. Oh yes, I understand what you mean completely and I'm very glad you noticed this! It's in Harry's P.O.V. but Harry is noticing things about Draco that will all come together eventually. It's not obvious to him, but to the readers I hope it's a bit obvious (but not too much). Although you never get Draco's P.O.V. you will get to see his feelings through Harry's eyes soon enough.

**Tgkur: **Thanks so much! What a compliment! I'm so glad you're enjoying this. Lol! You know, everyone's said that they've skimmed the first chapter. I find that hilarious. Of course I'm glad that they continue to look at other chapters even if the first one doesn't appeal to them. I guess having a summary of the story really helps. :-) And I'm very pleased to hear that you like the details. I LOVE putting in details, descriptions, sometimes fancy wording. It makes it fun to write and hopefully to read. I'll update asap!

**Potterluvva: **Thank you! I'm very glad to hear that! I'll update again in the next couple of days. :-)

**Lollylover: **Lol! I'm glad you like it! I just posted the next chapter right after you reviewed! :-)


	10. Suppressed Desires

Captivation

**Captivation**

_Enjoy some Draco/Harry action in this chapter… :-) _

**Chapter 9: Suppressed Desires **

The next few weeks seemed to pass by rather fast. Harry spent a lot of time with Blake but he didn't do anything sexual with him again. For some reason, he realized that it was quite a big step for him and he didn't want Blake to think that the limited time they had together would be sexual. Harry wasn't naïve—he knew that if they did sexual acts, even mild ones, frequently that Blake would assume Harry wanted to have sex with him. All he really wanted was to experiment with kissing and the occasional touching (with clothes on for the most part). One night recently they did make out in their underwear and touched one another briefly.

Harry knew Blake was a little confused by his reaction. That Harry had allowed them to go as far as rubbing and making out mostly naked and then suddenly pulled away. The truth was that the older boy was very sexually active, meaning Blake hinted about doing sexual things with him at least twice a day and Harry was not. Not completely anyway. At least not yet. He did enjoy their intimate night, but at the same time he wasn't comfortable with doing it every night. So, he pulled away so that the older boy wouldn't get the wrong idea. Harry liked the embracing, the kissing, the soft touches and nips on his neck and ear. That was what he was comfortable with now.

The strange thing was that when Harry saw Draco now either at parties or at practice, the blond didn't say much to him at all. No snide comments, no sneers, no random sarcasm. He was much quieter and hung out a lot more with Liam and some others. And at parties he either stood quietly with a group and drank or sat on one of the couches. Harry noticed this while he and Blake were constantly together and he always had sudden urges to talk to Malfoy. Even when Tavis celebrated his birthday, at the party Draco wasn't as talkative. He did join in the Entranced or Cursed game once, but after that sat out. Perhaps the blond was bored now since he thought that he couldn't tease or torment Harry anymore.

It was on a very windy mid-August day, the day before Blake's birthday that Harry found an owl from Blake, requesting that he meet him in the boys' shower room at eleven. It struck him as very odd, but after dinner he walked down there to see what the older boy wanted. He swung the door open and stepped inside. Turning his head in every direction, Harry walked through the locker room searching for Blake.

"Harry," a voice called to him.

He wheeled around and blinked, seeing Blake standing nearby the shower stalls clad only in a towel. Harry's heart nearly jumped in his throat. Blake had promised that their relationship wouldn't go further. Perhaps Harry made a mistake by allowing the mild sexual act to happen between them some time ago. Had Blake gotten the wrong impression?

"Erm…hi," Harry said, shifting awkwardly. "You wanted to see me?"

Blake grinned and uncrossed his arms. "Yeah. Come here."

Harry's stiff legs reluctantly moved closer until he was within five feet from the boy.

"What is it?" Harry asked, subtly wiping his clammy hands on his pants.

"Don't I get a kiss or something?" Blake smiled, stepping closer.

Harry stepped closer uncertainly and Blake reached out toward him. The older boy pulled him flush against his mostly naked body and kissed him deeply. Harry didn't respond immediately but slowly began to kiss him like he had done many times since their agreement to have a temporary relationship. The older boy's hands ran beneath his shirt like he had done in the past and Harry's muscles began to relax until the other boy unexpectedly pushed him up against the shower wall. Harry's gasp was muffled as the boy's fingers trailed down from beneath his shirt to his pants where the tips dipped beneath the hem of his jeans.

Harry pushed firmly against the boy's chest, breaking the kiss. "Blake, stop."

"What's the matter?" Blake asked, breathing rapidly.

"Er…why did you want to see me?" Harry asked, changing the subject to distract the boy.

Blake stared at him momentarily then brought a hand up to rake through his hair. "Harry, I have to tell you something. I just got an owl earlier today from the Ireland teams' Quidditch captain. He saw my grades and my interest in being a captain and he contacted Niall requesting me," the boy smiled, smoothing back Harry's hair as he kissed his neck. "He requested that I come down with them and remain there to watch the team train and be the assistant captain, since that captain's going to retire in a couple years anyway."

Harry's stomach flipped but it wasn't in anxiety. He had been feeling over the last few days that Blake was more into being sexual with him than anything. It wasn't that he was using him—Blake wouldn't hurt him at all, but at the same time he was still getting over his last boyfriend and Harry just felt like he was a subconscious distraction. Not to mention Blake had admitted wanting to meet him for a long while and that he was very attracted to Harry from the moment he first met him. Although Blake wasn't _using_ him for sexual gratification (since they had hardly been intimate) he probably wanted it.

"When do you leave?" Harry asked, trying not to sound relieved.

"In three days," Blake said, sucking on Harry's earlobe before staring at him. "I already told Tavis. And since my birthday's tomorrow and I was going to have a party in my common room anyway, it has turned into a birthday and a goodbye party."

"Oh, well that's good. At least you'll have time to say goodbye to everyone," Harry said.

The older boy smiled down at him and suddenly leaned forward urging him into a kiss.

"Harry," he breathed when he broke away. "I'll especially miss you. I didn't think I'd leave so early—at least not before the semester ended."

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he felt Blake's erection rub against his leg through his sweatpants. Firm hands were running down his hips and to his thighs.

"I was thinking," Blake continued, kissing Harry's jaw as his hands raked back up Harry's legs. "We should spend a lot more time together. We should get closer and—"

"Blake, stop!" Harry exclaimed as the boy's fingers brushed against his crotch.

The older boy pulled away and stared down at him. "What's wrong, Harry? Didn't you like it the last time we did it?"

"Er, yeah, but," Harry began.

Blake smiled. "I really like you, Harry. And I thought this would be the perfect place for some privacy. Everyone's in their common rooms so I thought it might be nice to take a shower together, you know? You could even sleep in my room tonight or something and we could spend quality time before the party and before I have to leave."

Harry swallowed thickly and stared up at him. "Blake…Listen to me. I like you too. And I did enjoy kissing you, but…I'm not…," Harry trailed off and refrained from saying he wasn't ready. He wasn't sure if he was ready for sex or not but the thing was that he didn't want to do it with Blake either way. "We haven't even been going out for a month. It's been a little over three weeks and that's not enough time. I already pushed my boundaries a bit when we…were intimate the night we decided to go out," Harry said as Blake's grin faded slightly.

"You want to break this off, don't you?" Blake asked quietly.

He didn't sound angry, just disappointed. Slowly, Harry nodded but decided to offer him more of a gentle explanation.

"You've been really good for me, you know, to help me realize that I preferred guys. But it's just too soon. I mean, we can't even really call this a relationship because it's been so short. And we never really dated we just…made-out and stuff," Harry said, swallowing nervously. "I know you probably want to…have sex before you leave, but I just…I'm not that kind of person. In order to give myself completely I need to know them really well and it needs to be a longer period of time of dating."

Blake nodded, giving him a small smile as he backed away so Harry could move. "I understand, Harry. And I respect that. Although I'm disappointed, well, who wouldn't be?" he winked. "I should've known that you had more morals than most guys your age. After everything you've been through and what not. I would've really liked to get closer to you," he said, brushing his fingers against his cheek. "And have more time too. I suppose I'll have to let you go. After all, I do only have a few days left and it wouldn't be fair to you if I rushed things just to know what it's like to be intimate with you. You do have a great body."

Harry flushed a bit and nodded awkwardly. Blake just smiled and pulled his hand away.

"You're probably right, Harry. I think I became so enamored with you because of who you were and because it felt like we made such a connection. I'm sure the curiosity of wanting to know what it was like to touch you played a role too. But my intent was never to use you or hurt you."

"I know," Harry said, nodding. "I think it might be good for you to go someplace else. You might still need some more time to get over your boyfriend."

"Yeah," Blake smiled. "I am glad I met you, Harry. And you are a great kisser. Of course I'll never forget that night," he winked.

Harry felt his cheeks heat up instantly. Blake leaned down and kissed him again softly. Then he pulled away and gave him another grin to show that he was alright with it.

"I'll see you at the party, right?"

"Definitely," Harry said, giving him a small smile.

"Good," he said. Then he walked toward one of the showers and before Harry could even step away from the wall he took off his towel.

Harry blushed, seeing that the boy was still partially aroused but he didn't act like it bothered him. Blake turned on the shower and faced him, grinning widely.

"You sure you don't want to take a shower?"

"Er, that's alright," Harry said. "I don't want to lead you on or make it harder for you."

Blake chuckled deeply and shook his sandy-colored hair as the water cascaded over him.

"Yeah, I suppose seeing you naked would tempt me too much. It might take me some time to stop thinking of Harry Potter as my boyfriend, but don't feel bad or anything. It was nice while it lasted."

Harry nodded, stepping backward as he tried not to stare at the other boy's body. "Yeah, er…thanks for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."

Blake gave him a wave as the magical sponges began washing his body. Harry walked quickly out of the shower room relieved that Blake seemed to take it pretty well. Even though he had obviously tried to seduce Harry into changing his mind, it hadn't been that hard to break it off. Blake was extremely nice and it had been a good experience to kiss him and feel what it was like to be with another boy, but the older boy just came on too strongly.

It was obvious he was probably ecstatic that Harry Potter of all people agreed to be his boyfriend. He didn't blame the other boy at all for feeling that way. If Harry had been in the other boy's shoes, meeting a famous person who helped save the world, he'd feel good about himself too. And he knew the boy never meant to hurt him or take advantage of him—it wasn't like he would have if Harry didn't want to, but it was clear Blake had desired to go further.

Harry sighed with relief, thankful that he had gotten some experience but hadn't gotten in a situation like what happened with Ginny. He went back to his room and changed. Thoughts of Malfoy immediately went into his head and he wondered why the blond hadn't been pestering him as of late. Since Blake's party was in his common room, Malfoy would most likely be there. Perhaps he could try and talk to the blond. Draco wasn't a person who was easily approached, but maybe after drinking a little Harry could talk to him without getting into a fight.

Sighing, he went to sleep, thankful that the next day would be Saturday and he could take a break from classes. He still had homework to finish but he wouldn't worry about it too much until Sunday. The morning came and Harry decided to go to Hogsmeade for the day, just to spend time alone and get his thoughts together. He sat down at the Three Broomsticks and with a non-alcoholic butterbeer he began to think. He pictured seeing Malfoy for the first time in over a year. The blond had certainly grown taller and at first glance he looked more mature (though he was still as irritating as ever).

Still, Harry noticed something peculiar. And now that he had a chance to think on it, it slowly began to become clearer. All the strange feelings he had had over the course of early summer had all been a part of his self-discovery. Harry realized now that after the war he had changed—he grew up and all the normal teenage insecurities and sensations that had remained dormant up till that point were allowed their release. That was why he began to see things differently. Ginny's true intentions had been revealed and Harry's own desires for a fresh start as well.

All of a sudden, in a matter of minutes as he was sitting there, he had a revelation. It finally dawned on him why seeing Draco after so long and getting to know the boy in a new environment had stirred both confusion and frustration. It was obvious to him now why his stomach clenched tightly whenever near him. They still had some tension between them—their disagreements and competition against the other—but now Harry was aware that they both had changed so much since the war began. It had been a gradual process but looking back it was clear now.

The moment they had seen each other again was the moment their rivalry resurfaced along with something foreign. Harry couldn't see it before because he had been blinded by memories and feelings of the past but now that he was in a different state of mind and more aware of himself as he'd never been he realized what had changed between them. As soon as the revelation hit him, he felt the stirrings of anxiety. Had Malfoy felt any changes between them? The question remained implanted in his mind even as he left Hogsmeade. He had to find out for sure if his revelation was true.

That night, Harry went to Blake's common room a little later than Tavis and the others. He wore his favorite black velvet pants but with a silky silver-colored blouse. He hadn't worn the pants since the party Tavis and the others threw for him and he figured he'd look nice. It was Blake's goodbye party as well and he at least wanted to see him and say a proper farewell. There were lots of people there already and Harry squeezed through the crowd to find Blake. The older boy was in a deep discussion with a few others but when he saw Harry he smiled and invited him over.

"Hey Harry," Blake said, embracing him tightly.

"Hey," Harry responded, patting his back lightly. "I'm really happy for you, Blake. This is a dream come true, isn't it?"

"Sure is," he grinned, throwing his head back to keep his hair from falling in front of his eyes. "But then again I have lots of dreams."

The wink he sent Harry made his stomach clench. The older boy seemed open to still being intimate with him despite having agreed to break off their mild relationship early. Harry just smiled pretending to take it as a joke.

"Er, yeah. Are you excited?"

"Yeah a bit as well as nervous," Blake shrugged. "But the faster I learn over there the sooner I can become a captain. And then maybe one day I'll be as famous as you," he winked.

"Why not?" Harry grinned in response. "We should, er, keep in touch. As friends I mean."

Blake smiled and nodded. "I agree, Harry. It'd be nice to keep in touch with some people, especially you."

So Blake wasn't quite over him yet, but Harry understood it would take time. The strange thing was that Harry would miss him but he was already over him "romantically".

"Of course. You can owl me anytime," Harry said.

"I will," Blake grinned, pulling him into another tight embrace. "Have some fun."

Harry nodded as the older boy pulled away. After another smile, Blake turned to go greet some other people. Harry slipped back through the crowd, grabbed a Butterbeer and headed toward the couch. Harry's stomach fluttered when he saw that the couch was occupied. Malfoy was lying down with his legs propped up while leaning against the arm rest. He had a bottle in his hand and took a sip of it, staring out at people indifferently.

He approached the couch and sat down, making sure to keep a fair amount of distance between them. Draco obviously felt the couch moved and turned his gaze onto him.

"Is your boyfriend not giving you enough attention, Potter?" Malfoy drawled.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his head toward the blond. "Blake's not my boyfriend anymore, Malfoy."

One of the blond's eyebrows rose but whether it was in shock, curiosity or amusement, Harry couldn't tell.

"Is he not good enough for the famous Harr—"

"Shut-up Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, interrupting him. "It's not that at all. It was a temporary thing to begin with since he's leaving for Ireland."

"Going to miss him, Potter? Perhaps cry over him?" Malfoy's lips curled widely.

"No, actually. We weren't serious at all and it was a mutual agreement to have the temporary relationship. And anyway, Malfoy just because I'm gay doesn't mean I act like a girl," Harry sent a glare toward him. "That's stereo-typical."

Malfoy snorted and took a swig of his drink. "Like I care, Potter."

Harry felt his insides squirm with more frustration. The blond was so good with knowing which button to push on him that it was infuriating. Harry tried not to let it show as the two elapsed into silence. Malfoy stared back into space carelessly and Harry glanced at him from time-to-time. Finally, getting sick of the silence and the blond's attitude, Harry cleared his throat.

Malfoy didn't even look at him as he spoke. "What Potter?"

"I was wondering if you were up for a re-match in that game."

The blond's gaze turned back to him slowly and he smirked. "A re-match? Please, Potter it's a waste of my time."

"You're just scared I might win this time," Harry countered quickly.

Narrowing his eyes, Malfoy slowly sat up. "Fine, Potter. I'll accept your challenge but don't cry when I beat you again."

"Like hell I would," Harry grumbled as the blond got up and went to retrieve some drinks.

Harry stood up afterward and followed the blond after he retrieved some bottles. They went to the other side of the room where the drinking games were set up. No one was playing The Eternal Eclipse, which Harry was grateful for, so they sat down each with five bottles again.

"You remember the rules, Potter?" Malfoy smirked toward him, shaking his head so his bangs moved away from his eyes.

Harry felt his stomach flip and then he nodded firmly. "Yes, I do."

"Good. That'll save me from wasting any extra time," Malfoy drawled. "Let's go."

The two tapped their wands and the game chose Malfoy to go first. The blond sent him another amused smirk and Harry just glared in annoyance.

"Now, what's your favor?" the blond leaned back, twirling his wand confidently.

"This time I want you to give me a massage. The same rules apply as what you said to me," Harry stated.

Malfoy snorted. "Just what I've always wanted to do," he quipped sarcastically. "If I win, Potter, you can do an essay for me."

Harry bit his tongue from retorting 'like hell I'm going to do your homework'. It was just one essay and it was less awkward than giving him a massage again. Besides, he didn't plan on losing.

"Fine. Go on then."

Malfoy smirked and slipped his wand back into his pocket. He took his turn to start the game and Harry concentrated on a plan. It didn't work the last time to go with the flow of things so he'd have to plan out his moves. The last time, Malfoy cornered him because he let him think he was safe by allowing him to move around and concentrate on the other neutral characters while he was setting up traps. This time, Harry would not only set up traps, but he had a different strategy in mind. He would let the blond think he was winning by sacrificing a few warriors by the time they entered the Heaven level. Then if he proceeded right he could make a deal with the vampire queen of the game but he wouldn't use her help until the Hell level. That way when they reached that level, Harry would hopefully have gained more power and favors even if Malfoy had more pieces. And then when the final battle came, he'd use the vampire queen's help to strengthen all his men.

As the game went on, Harry had to fix his strategy a little but otherwise it played out just as he wanted. It made him feel as smart as Tom Riddle, since the psychotic boy had obviously planned things out before taking any action. Malfoy was beyond pissed when the Hell level came and Harry's favor was out in the open. Although he tried defeating him by sacrificing some of his men and getting help from a dark creature, it wasn't enough. Harry smiled victoriously as one of his mages placed the two gems together and won the game.

Cursing loudly, Malfoy chugged the rest of his last bottle and proceeded on Harry's last bottle. Harry watched the blond drink the rest, noticing that both of them were fairly drunk but thankfully neither were too drunk. Malfoy was a bit more than he was, however.

"Let's get this over with, Potter!" the blond sneered, pushing up angrily from the table.

Harry felt exuberant as they made their way through the door. Draco obviously wasn't going to allow Harry to use his room there so they walked back down the hallway toward Harry's common room. Once they were in his room, Harry transfigured one of his quills into a bottle of lotion. He threw it toward Malfoy who caught it just barely, because of his drunken state, and snorted.

"This is all you have?"

"I don't need to use fancy things like you do," Harry countered, waving his wand so he was clad in only a towel.

The blond glared at him and reluctantly approached the bed as Harry lay down.

"Remember, Malfoy, put pressure on the muscles but not too much," Harry said, grinning.

"I'm not an imbecile, Potter," Malfoy drawled, though his words sounded a bit slurred. He still seemed quite drunk.

Harry just shrugged and put his head on his arms, much like Malfoy had done when their roles were reversed. His heart was hammering loudly in his chest and it only got worse when he felt his bed dip down further. The blond sat down and poured a bunch of the cold lotion onto his back. His fingers roughly smoothed it out but as more minutes of silence passed Malfoy eased up a bit. Harry let out a soft sigh as he realized he was pretty tense.

As Malfoy continued to move along his back and then down to his legs, Harry's stomach began fluttering again. He remembered what he had done during the massage for Malfoy and suddenly his cheeks heated up. Thankfully he was facing down and away from the other boy. He tried to stop thinking about it but it wouldn't leave his thoughts. And the more it burned in his thoughts, the more Harry realized that his body was slowly beginning to react.

_Shit! If Malfoy notices…Shit, what do I do?_

While Harry was inwardly panicking the blond roughly began shoving him to get him to turn over. Harry reacted instantly and jerked his arm, which accidentally knocked Malfoy in the face and caused him to sprawl on the bed on top of Harry's side.

"POTTER! What the hell is wrong with you?" Malfoy shouted, struggling to get up.

"You startled me," Harry said quickly.

Malfoy heaved himself up and glared down at him. "You're the one who asked for a massage! So turn over!"

The blond grabbed his arm to turn him all the way but Harry panicked.

"NO!" he shouted suddenly turning his body too fast.

His leg came up and accidentally kicked Malfoy, causing him to fall right on top of him. Their foreheads bonked together and Harry's heart just about stopped in his chest. His groin had been beginning to feel hot from the thoughts about accidentally brushing up against Malfoy's penis during the massage and now he was facing upward with Malfoy on top of him. What if he had an erection? He was so terrified he couldn't move for a few seconds. Malfoy groaned in pain and tried to raise himself up but he lacked good coordination.

"Potter, you imbecile!" Malfoy shouted, raising himself up.

Harry tried to move his legs so that he could turn over in case he did have an erection that showed through the towel, but he didn't realize how his legs were positioned. When he moved, his knee suddenly shoved up into Malfoy's crotch. That's when Harry's heart really stopped. Although it happened so fast, and the two of them were still drunk, Harry could clearly feel that Malfoy had a slight hard-on. It was so shocking to him that he just stared up at the other boy, forgetting all about the worry of his own body reacting.

The two locked eyes silently and neither one moved for a split second. Suddenly, Malfoy's eyes narrowed with pure hatred and his face reddened with anger. He shoved Harry away from it, nearly causing the other boy to roll off the bed. Harry caught himself and turned, watching as the blond jumped clumsily off the bed and stomped toward the door.

"Malfoy, stop!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, leaping off the bed as well.

He ran and just about tripped when he jumped in front of the door to stop the blond from leaving.

"MOVE POTTER!" Malfoy shouted, fumbling as he took out his wand.

"You're not done with the massage yet!" Harry exclaimed as his heart raced in his chest. His thoughts were racing so fast. Malfoy had an erection, he was quite sure. But if he had had it before the massage or not, Harry couldn't say but he didn't want Malfoy to leave.

In a drunken rage, the blond lunged at him and Harry reacted instinctually. Because Malfoy's reflexes were slower, Harry dodged his punch and then kicked up in the gut. Malfoy went flying backward and hit the desk. He lost balance from the force of Harry's kick and tripped, falling over. Malfoy's head banged against the desk as he crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain. Harry's heart nearly stopped when the blond didn't get up right away.

"Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, rushing over to him.

The blond had his eyes closed, but seemed to be conscious because he was groaning. Harry bent over him but Malfoy didn't open his eyes. Even though Harry was still drunk too he had enough sense to lift Malfoy up and place him on the bed.

"Malfoy," Harry said again, reaching out to press his hand against Malfoy's cheek.

The blond's cheek was hot but that was most likely because he had been drinking. Malfoy's eyebrows were furrowed, but he was breathing in and out like before. Harry looked down at him, with his blond hair in disarray around his face and his fair skin gleaming in the dim light. Harry found himself drawn to him again and instantly feelings like when he had almost kissed Malfoy surfaced again. He watched Malfoy's parted lips move ever-so-slightly and without even thinking Harry bent down and pressed his lips upon Malfoy's.

His lips were so soft and warm—they were so different from Blake's. Malfoy's smooth lips moved slightly at the feel of Harry's against his and suddenly Harry felt Malfoy's lips clamp onto his. They kissed and Harry heard the sound of their kiss that echoed softly in the room. A wave of excitement flooded him and Harry adjusted his position so that he was more comfortable, resting a hand by Malfoy's head and kissed him again. This time he pressed down more fervently, moving his lips over Malfoy's as he turned his head to get a better feel.

The blond responded without warning and opened his mouth against Harry's lips. And Harry felt a tongue slip inside his mouth and he groaned deeply, lying his body down partially on top of Malfoy's as he intensified the kiss, slipping his own tongue into the blond's mouth. He was reminded of their kiss at the party when Malfoy had grabbed him by the shirt and forced their lips together. That excitement flooded through him and he felt his body quickly becoming aroused. It was an intense arousal, much different than with Blake. Harry's heart was pounding and his body was becoming flushed and hot. Butterflies were squirming in his stomach and Harry pressed his chest against Malfoy's, keeping their tongues intertwined as their lips moved in a slow but passionate rhythm.

Harry heard a low groan from Malfoy and it only aroused him more. His intoxicated senses were only heightening his feelings and Harry felt the blond's hand suddenly grab behind his neck, forcing Harry's lips against his harshly. As they kissed, Harry felt his growing erection. Without thinking, he moved to lie on top of Malfoy, as he had done with Blake, and he felt something hard rub against his leg. Groaning, Harry moved his hand down Malfoy's chest as they kissed and his fingers brushed against the other boy's arousal. Malfoy groaned and broke the kiss, turning his head sideways. His eyes were still closed as Harry touched his crotch, squeezing the erection confined in his pants. He could already tell Malfoy's erection was becoming enlarged.

Harry raised himself up clumsily. He got off Malfoy, stumbling a bit and stared down at Malfoy's pants. Following the sensations he had when he experimented with Blake, Harry reached for the blond's pants and began to undo them. Malfoy groaned and lifted his hips. The pants were pulled off and Harry saw the engorged erection sticking out of the tight, short black briefs Malfoy was wearing. In a daze, Harry pulled down the briefs, feeling as his body's excitement increased. The erection was revealed and Harry stared at it, noticing its large length and the swollen tip. There were fair blond hairs at the base of it and it looked smooth, but engorged.

Harry reached toward it to touch it curiously and he wrapped his fingers around it. The blond moaned loudly and arched his hips up. Harry's own erection grew as he continued to stroke Malfoy's penis, hearing the moans and pleasured hisses coming from the blond. Harry moved his hand up and down Malfoy's shaft, squeezing occasionally. Suddenly, Malfoy's hands grabbed around Harry's neck, pulling him down roughly. The blond spread his legs and pushed Harry's face toward his crotch.

Harry was in a sort of trance as Malfoy thrust his hips toward him, causing the blond's erection to brush against his cheek. Malfoy groaned, throwing his head back again as he became lost in the desire. His drunken state had probably taken over, but Harry didn't even think about what he was doing as his eyes stared down at the bulging erection. The tip of the blond's erection was slightly pink and Malfoy was moving his hips, obviously signaling that he wanted something. Just seeing Malfoy's erection up close aroused him even more.

The blond groaned again and with his hand still on the back of Harry's neck pushed him down again. Harry's lips brushed across the tip of the erection and Malfoy moaned loudly, thrusting his hips upward. Harry was still in a daze, but his desire was consuming him. Still partly confused and yet aware of all the sensations, Harry slid the tip of Malfoy's erection into his mouth. Malfoy's hand slid up from his neck to his hair and he pulled on Harry's hair tightly as he moaned with pleasure.

Harry's eyes shut instantly as tingles of excitement and pleasure erupted in his stomach. Without realizing it, he let out a soft groan which vibrated around Malfoy's pulsing cock, causing the blond's hips to arch. He heard the loud groans from the blond, who had his eyes shut tightly and his mouth slightly parted. The blond was breathing deeply and Harry felt the sensitive skin of the pulsing member in his mouth. He bent forward until the whole thing was in his mouth (which was a little harder to fit than he thought) and suddenly sucked really hard.

The blond's hips jerked up off the bed and Harry just about gagged as the tip of his penis hit the back of his throat. Harry unconsciously moved his hands to Malfoy's hips to hold him down. As he began to suck consistently he felt his hair suddenly being pulled roughly and he groaned in pain, sending more vibrations around the pulsing cock. Malfoy groaned loudly, breathing harshly as well, and tugged Harry's hair again with his fingers. His knees had spread apart even wider but Harry didn't even notice as he continued to suck, feeling the organ in his mouth grow even bigger. It was incredibly arousing and Harry's own cock was releasing drops of pre-cum beneath the towel.

The two of them were already consumed by the euphoria as Harry continued to move his head up and down, feeling the cock at all angles in his mouth. Subconsciously, Harry inhaled the penis to the back of his throat as his tongue pushed up from underneath. Malfoy let out a shout and pulled on Harry's hair as he tried to thrust into his mouth. Harry had enough sense to keep the blond's hips down and continued sucking hard, creating pressure around the cock as he also moved back and forth. As he continued building up the pleasure, he rubbed his own erection against the towel, creating friction for himself.

Harry once more brought the pulsing organ to the back of his throat as he bobbed his head and sucked really hard. Soon, something hot and wet burst into his mouth and Malfoy groaned deeply, letting out a breathless pant. Suddenly, Harry felt his cock pulse as it released his orgasm just as Malfoy had finished his release in his mouth. He accidentally swallowed a little bit but pulled his mouth away out of instinct and spit the rest on the bed. Harry collapsed onto the bed still trying to blink out of his euphoric state. He unconsciously rolled onto his back and slung an arm over his eyes as his erratic breathing began to calm.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there, breathing heavily with his arm over his arms and his legs bent. Finally, Harry uncovered his eyes, blinking out of his daze. He stared up at the dark ceiling and as the aftermath of his orgasm died down he connected everything with his mind.

"Oh fuck," Harry said as he wiped his mouth.

He knew what had happened—he was aware of everything, but his intoxicated mind had taken over. His defenses had been weakened due to the alcohol and he had just reacted and he was sure the same thing had happened to Malfoy. Harry suddenly jolted up and turned his head. The blond was gone. There was an imprint in the bed where he had been lying while Harry was pleasuring him but no other sign. Sometime after Harry had lay down the blond had gotten up and left without Harry realizing it. What had he thought? Had he broken out of his drunken state and realized what Harry had done? How could he not…although he had been drunk it wasn't like he wouldn't remember what happened. Both of them knew what happened, but Harry wasn't sure how Malfoy would react.

Groaning, Harry summoned his wand and cleaned himself up and any messes on the bed. He hit his head against the headboard of his bed several times. His revelation had proved to be true—he was attracted to Malfoy. For some reason, even before Harry knew he was gay, he had developed some feeling for the blond. Was it just a physical desire—pent-up sexual frustration? After all, Blake had more than hinted that they could further before he left, but Harry hadn't been interested at all. So why was it different with Malfoy?

Harry was too tired to try and figure it out and all he wanted to do was build his self a hole to crawl into. Malfoy would no doubt remember everything…and then what? He couldn't possibly face the other boy now. Wishing he could suddenly disappear, Harry reluctantly pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep, still wearing the towel.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Redmeadow: **Oh yeah, I understand. Don't worry, no more girls will be with Harry, lol! And you got some Draco/Harry action too!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Thank you! :-)

**Tiger Eye2: **Well Harry needed someone to experiment with. Blake was a good transition for Harry to Draco, I thought. :-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Perhaps they did, but at the same time Harry's desires have already been released. He can get aroused just like any other teen now and Blake just helped him come to terms with that. :-) It may have pushed Harry's boundaries a little, but he was curious. And now our lovely Draco knows he's the BJ king. Lol! Oh yes, the homophobes! Well, Ginny was one, obviously—well kind of. She's just a hater, really. And there ARE people in the school who are homophobic, just like in every place, but Harry doesn't notice this because none of them would have the guts to approach him. He is famous after all. But there will be something interesting that comes up. We haven't seen the last of angry-Ginny or Rita Skeeter. :-)

**Potterluvva: **Yes, our little Ginny is very slutty, isn't she? Well, she has wanted Harry for a very long time now and she's pissed she didn't get to have him all the way, if you get my drift. Oh yes, I've been updating pretty good lately! It's only taken me about two days this time! I'll update asap!

**Seraphim9: **Thanks so much! I'm so glad you like this! Yes, I know people wanted Harry with Draco right away, but that just didn't seem realistic to me. I mean, Harry's not going to realize he likes his arch-rival right away and I thought giving him a little experience with someone else was necessary. But you did get some action between them in this! I'll update asap!

**Inner Self**: Lol! Well, I actually have this whole story planned out already. That's most likely why I've been able to update so quickly. The ideas just all come to me, since I wrote an outline. But, we probably do think alike! You've been guessing some pretty close things already! Oh, I don't know if I have a rep, lol! If I do, I hope it's good. :-)

**Skittlelove: **Oh good! I'm glad you like the Blake/Harry. I know you're probably dying for some more Draco/Harry though. Lol! Don't worry, it will come! And of course I'll update asap!

**FairyDust353: **Thank you! I'm really glad you like it so far! I've been updating pretty fast so I should be able to post another chapter within the next one to two days. :-)

**C.Khafre: **Oh yes, have no fear! Blake has served his purpose now! :-) More Draco/Harry action isn't too far away! I shall update just as quickly!

**Meka: **Hehehe, thanks! I'm so glad you like Blake. He's served his purpose now. Yes, Draco is supposed to be sketchy so I'm glad you noticed. More of his feelings will be shown to Harry later on and it will be easier to see how he thinks (once Harry realizes it) but they still have a little ways to go. :-) Lol! I thought that was obvious already, but I suppose if you'd like me to tell you to make you feel better: Yes, Harry is going to be the bottom. :-)

**Tgkur: **Awwww, thanks so much! That is like the best compliment! Actually, it helps that I have this story all planned out already. Although some ideas change as I write each chapter, I have an outline and I pretty much know how it's going to end. But don't worry, there's still a short ways to go. :-) I shall continue to update quickly!

**Mrs-tw: **Lol! Well, I hope you liked the Draco/Harry-ness! I know it was mild, but there's more to come! And yes, I will continue to update quickly! Thanks! :-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Yes, confusion is so much fun to toy with, lol! I know it's hard to see how Draco thinks right now, but once Harry starts figuring out the blond I'm sure you will too. :-) His feelings are a bit hidden, but Harry should help that. And Blake has served his purpose now. I shall update very shortly!

**Jeje: **I'm so glad you liked it! There's much more hot-ness to come! Lol!

**Pixie9: **Lol! Thank you! I'm glad that I'm keeping up the suspense alright. I like to keep readers guessing too. But don't worry, I'll continue to update fast so it won't be bugging you to know what happens.

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Oh that's alright! Don't worry about catching me every time I update! I'm really glad you liked Remus. He hasn't completely disappeared either. And I promise much more Draco/Harry action soon.


	11. Unexpected

**Captivation**

**Chapter 10: Unexpected**

Harry woke up around seven the next morning. He was more than grateful it was a Sunday. Not only did he not have classes but he didn't have Quidditch practice, which meant he didn't have to face Malfoy. His plan was to avoid him as long as possible—maybe let enough time pass for him to forget.

"No chance," he muttered aloud to his self. "Malfoy is not going to forget it anytime soon."

He groaned and refrained from hitting his head against the headboard of his bed again. Harry wanted so desperately to blame the alcohol completely for what happened the previous night. The truth was, however, that while he had enough alcohol in his system to give him the confidence to act on his desires, it _was_ his desires that took over. He wasn't drunk enough to not know what was going on and there was no doubt that he hadn't wanted to do that. For some reason, as he had figured out the night before, he was attracted to Malfoy. Even with this realization, he knew that without the alcohol's help, he would've never acted on it.

What made him more confused was Malfoy's reaction. Harry thought back to when the blond had fallen on top of him and when he realized Draco had an erection. There could've been tons of reasons for it, however. Draco had had an erection at the second party they went to before he had even confronted Harry (and used him as a masturbation pole). It could've been the alcohol that did it…but there was a question that burned in the back of Harry's mind: Had Malfoy had the erection before he had started to give Harry the massage?

Harry shook his head firmly. Why were his feelings so confusing? Was it just sexual desire that made him attracted to Malfoy? There were plenty of attractive males in the school so why was it that Malfoy was the one making his body react? It certainly couldn't have been because of his charming personality.

Sighing heavily, while still surrounded by his thoughts, Harry made his way down to the boys' shower room. As he waved his wand to get rid of his clothes, he stopped and stood in front of a mirror. There was still a red spot on his left cheek where Malfoy had punched him. The blond had most likely reacted violently out of embarrassment. Was he afraid that Harry would think the blond had an erection because of him? Or maybe he thought Harry would use it to humiliate him somehow.

But when Malfoy had started ranting about never wanting to see him again, Harry had just reacted. He didn't know why or if it was the mild intoxication, but he couldn't let the blond leave. And so he fought back with violence and when they had landed on the bed and Draco fought him again, Harry knew that trying to pin him down wouldn't keep him from leaving. Somewhere in his mind he had made the decision to seduce the blond; that's what it was…a seduction, of sorts.

But why…why hadn't he wanted Malfoy to go? Wasn't that his dream—wanting Malfoy to ignore him and never want to see him again? After all, he couldn't even count the number of times Malfoy had infuriated him or the times he had the urge to pound the blond till he was unconscious. Those questions were burning in his mind even after he finished the shower and went back up to his room to change. Pulling off the towel, Harry slipped into his black, shiny pants. Before he could even decide on a shirt there was a knock at his door.

Harry froze instinctively. His heart was hammering and he wondered if it was Malfoy. Had he come to confront him? Slowly, Harry approached the door and opened it even as his heart was racing. Blake stood there outside of his door still wearing the sweatpants he probably slept in. His hair was a bit disheveled and he had his arms crossed over his bare chest.

Harry blinked looking surprised. "Hi Blake."

"Can I come in?" the boy asked, staring down at him.

"Er, sure," Harry said, opening his door.

The boy stepped inside and Harry closed the door. Then he went searching for a shirt.

"What is it?" Harry asked as he sifted through his clothes.

Blake leaned up against the bed post. "Why is it that you broke up with me?"

Harry turned around accidentally dropping the shirt he had been debating on. "What? I thought…you know, that we decided this," Harry said gently. "You're leaving in two days. Remember, we were temporary boyfriends?"

"I remember," Blake said, approaching him. "But you know, it baffles me Harry that you agree to be my temporary boyfriend up until the point that I leave then suddenly break it off a few days early."

Harry could clearly see that something was bothering Blake—this time he seemed rather upset. But Harry had never been good at these kinds of things. Comforting people was out of his reach, normally.

"Er, listen Blake. We talked about this yesterday and you said it was fine. I just thought we should break it off early so it doesn't make it harder."

"Really?" Blake countered, walking closer until he was within a foot. "Or is it because you got sick of me and decided you liked your blond friend more than me?"

Harry's mouth completely froze and he stared up at the other boy in utter shock. Was he referring to Malfoy? How could he have known…? Had the blond bragged about Harry Potter giving him a blow-job? Suddenly, Harry was feeling extremely anxious but also incredibly pissed off. If Malfoy was out there bragging, Harry would make sure he punched him until his mouth was too sore to talk. It had been unexpected; it had just happened…

"Blake, I don't…what are you talking about?" Harry asked, finally finding his voice. "Are you talking about Malfoy?"

"Yeah," Blake said, uncrossing his arms as he stared at Harry intensely. "The blond you were playing the game with at my party, Harry. I went looking for you near the end of the party and Danny said that he saw you leave with him. What were you two doing, huh?"

"I…Blake, it's not like that at all!" Harry exclaimed desperately. "Nothing happened between us. Malfoy and I don't even like each other as friends. We played that game and I won so Malfoy owed me a favor."

"And what favor was that?" Blake asked with narrowed eyes.

Harry swallowed. If Malfoy had told him already and he lied, Blake would become even more pissed off.

"Blake, I didn't break up with you because of Malfoy. I hate Malfoy. He and I have been rivals since Hog—"

"Answer the question, Harry," Blake demanded, stepping closer.

"I…he gave me a massage," Harry answered quickly, feeling his chest tighten. "He humiliated me the first time we played the game and I lost by making me give him a massage, so I thought I'd just pay him back."

"A massage huh? And what are two rivals doing feeling each other up?" Blake quipped, stepping so close Harry had to back a way a bit.

"What? It wasn't like that! Blake, you and I broke up because you're leaving!" Harry exclaimed, gesturing with his hands. "We knew this wouldn't last! We made a _mutual_ agreement."

"Just because we agreed to break it off when the time comes, doesn't mean you need to go behind my back with the blond, especially before I leave," Blake exclaimed firmly.

Harry just stood there silently watching the other boy fuming. He immediately glanced at the bed where he left his wand. He hadn't ever seen Blake mad before so he didn't know what to expect. In fact, he hardly even knew him. If Blake was the type to get severely jealous then Harry might have to defend himself.

Blake stared at him and then sighed in frustration. "You sure nothin' is going on between you two?"

"Yes," Harry responded firmly. There was nothing really going on between them…not really. He doubted that Draco was attracted to him.

"Alright. Sorry I got a little mad," Blake said, pulling Harry into an embrace.

Harry let him and even wrapped his arms around the other boy. "It's fine Blake. Look, I'm sorry our relationship had to be temporary, but you really were a great first boyfriend for me."

Blake pulled away and grinned. "I would've been even better in bed, you know."

Harry felt his cheeks flush and he nodded. "I'm sure you would have, but I'm not ready to go that far anyway."

Shrugging, Blake gave him a wink then headed to the door. "Well, I still have two days left and there's another party tonight down in the Opal Common Room. You're coming, right?"

"Er, I might not come for the whole thing. Probably later on like around one I'll come for a little bit. I just have some homework I want to get out of the way first. But if I don't see you there for some reason, I'll see you at breakfast Monday."

Blake nodded and gave him another smile before leaving. Harry sighed with relief and slumped against the wall. He didn't know how Blake would react if he found out what Harry did. The real reason he didn't want to go to the party was that Malfoy could be there and he didn't want to know if the blond had told anyone or not.

For the rest of the day, Harry remained in the library finishing up his homework for the next week. He even started on an assignment that wasn't due until the week after. Although he normally didn't do homework so early, he thought it was the best way to avoid Malfoy and Blake. And also this way he wouldn't have any homework to really worry about for the next couple days.

By the time he finished it was almost dinner time. He went down to the dining hall early and waited for the food to appear. Right when it did he piled some food onto a plate and rushed back to his room. He had told Tavis, who noticed his strange behavior and absence at the dining hall, that he had to be alone to concentrate on homework. The other boy had made him promise to attend the party, however, since Harry was spending his time away from everyone so he agreed to come later (as he had told Blake).

Eleven rolled around and Harry stayed in his room, taking his time finding an outfit to wear (as well as thinking of a plan in case he saw Malfoy). He knew that the party had already started but he didn't mind missing most of it. And he hoped Blake wasn't looking for him either. Sighing heavily, Harry kept his shiny black pants on and just wore a silky green t-shirt with it. There was a symbol of a lightning bolt in the upper chest (with a cloud) and although he knew it wasn't a shirt made for him it was a neat coincidence.

A knock came at his door some time later and Harry glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight, about ten minutes before, and Harry wondered if it was Tavis wanting to see if he was coming soon. Taking in a breath, Harry made his way to the door. He pulled it open and Blake wheeled around to face him.

"Oh, hi Bl—"

Harry's sentence was cut off as he was suddenly shoved harshly. He tripped over something and fell, hitting his head against the bed post. A bit dazed, Harry struggled to get his senses together as he got to his feet. Rough hands grabbed him and threw him on the bed. Harry's heart almost stopped and he immediately panicked. Blake, who sat on top of him, tried to pin him down but finally he had sense enough to jerk his knee upward into Blake's crotch. The older boy groaned in pain and Harry was able to shove him off. He ran for the door, but apparently he hadn't kicked hard enough for he was suddenly grabbed from behind and knocked to the floor.

Harry groaned in pain, feeling a bit light-headed from having knocked his head pretty hard. He tried to roll over while taking deep breaths. Remaining on the floor at least made it so that Blake didn't attack him. Slowly, Harry turned his head and blinked. At first his vision was a bit blurry but it cleared up and he saw Blake approaching him looking beyond pissed. He was heaving deeply and glared down at him.

"Is that what you call nothing?" Blake spat angrily, coming closer so he was practically standing beside him.

Harry looked up at him anxiously. "Blake…what are you talking about? Why did you push me?"

"_Why_?" Blake shouted suddenly. "Because, Harry you lied to me! You said that we broke up because I was leaving but you can't even hold off a day before sucking some other guy's dick!"

As the words came out, Harry felt his chest tighten uncomfortably. So Malfoy had told him. He had bragged, or at least he let the truth out. Perhaps the blond had been disgusted by it and wanted Harry to pay by making Blake angry. Harry slowly raised himself into a sitting position.

"Blake, I—"

"Don't even think of lying about it!" Blake hissed, pointing a finger down at him. "I got Malfoy to tell me. And wouldn't you know it, it wasn't just a massage! You two felt each other up real good, didn't you?"

Harry swallowed thickly. "Blake, Malfoy—"

"He was telling the truth! It's all he _could_ do!" Blake shouted. "I put a couple drops of Veritaserum in his drink when he wasn't looking and I asked him if anything happened between you two the other night!"

His eyes widened in response. So that was how Blake found out. Malfoy hadn't told him after all. Harry certainly couldn't deny it now.

"How could you go behind my back, huh?" Blake shouted, grabbing him roughly by the shirt and forcing him to stand.

Harry tried not to fight the boy in case he became more violent. "Blake, stop! I didn't go behind your back! You and I weren't boyfriends anymore and—"

"So that makes it okay then?" Blake shouted, keeping a firm grip on him. "It's okay to get with another guy because we broke up? I still wasn't over you! And yet apparently I meant nothing to you because you get with some guy, a guy you dislike no less, immediately after!"

"Oh and I wasn't a distraction for you to forget about your last boyfriend?" Harry shouted angrily.

"Don't even try that one on me!" Blake snarled, throwing him backward.

Harry's back slammed against the wall and although it hurt it didn't cause him to fall over.

"I treated you really good, Harry!"

"I know you did, and I treated you good too! And we both agreed to break it off, Blake! What happened with Malfoy wasn't expected nor did I want it to happen!" Harry shouted. "We were both drunk and—"

"That's a pathetic excuse, Potter and you know it!" Blake exclaimed, approaching him.

"You were great to me, Blake, I wasn't lying about that!" Harry shouted, glancing at his wand which was by his trunk. "I told you I didn't mean anything to happen with Malfoy and I really did like you a lot! But you have to understand that we weren't really serious! We barely even dated a month so we weren't even really boyfriends! And plus with you leaving so soon! We were both kind of using each other! And you knew that from the start!" Harry gestured with his hands as Blake stared at him with clenched fists.

"You told me you'd like to be my experimentation! I needed to know what it was like to have a boyfriend, but I didn't want it to be too serious. You agreed to that! And we weren't serious. I broke it off early so it would be easier to say goodbye and just be friends! That's what I wanted! I never meant to make you mad or to hurt you or even to do anything with Malfoy!"

"Well you did all three!" Blake shouted, glaring at him.

Without another word, Blake wheeled around and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Harry stared at the door and closed his eyes briefly. At least Malfoy hadn't told him willingly, but that didn't make him feel that much better. Blake was mad at him and he was leaving in a couple days. What if they didn't make up? Then he'd lose a good friend. Sure, he hadn't known Blake for very long, but he had enjoyed being with him.

Sighing heavily, Harry decided to go down to the showers and take another one. He wasn't in the mood to party, especially since a still pissed-off Blake would be there. As he entered the room he changed out of his clothes and into a towel and headed for the showers. He heard running water and cautiously stepped into the shower room. As he stepped further inside, he inclined his head toward the noise and saw the back of a familiar fair-haired boy.

The blond suddenly turned, hearing the footsteps and their eyes locked. However, Harry wasn't just staring at Malfoy's eyes. His face was all cut-up and bruised. There was a huge bruise on his left cheek that seemed to be a little swollen and a small bruise on his right cheek. His lip was split and there was a bruise down on his chin, but it appeared that whatever blood had been there had been washed by the water.

"Just when I thought my night couldn't get worse!" Malfoy snarled, turning off the water angrily.

He stomped over to his towel and then toward Harry who was standing at the entrance of the showers.

"What happened to your face?" Harry blurted out, staring wide-eyed at the bruises.

"_You_ happened to my face, Potter!" Malfoy shouted furiously, stomping past him.

"What are you talking about?" Harry exclaimed, hurrying after him.

"Just stay away from me, Potter!" Malfoy snarled, throwing things around to get to his pants. "Why don't you do us all a favor and go with your bloody, crazy boyfriend!"

Harry looked at him, taken-aback. "Blake? Did Blake do this to you?"

"Of course he did Potter!" Malfoy snapped, pulling up his pants without even bothering to put on his underwear. "It was your plan, after all wasn't it? To get me to massage you then give me a blow-job and get your ex all pissed off at me!"

"Malfoy, I didn't—"

"SHUT UP!" Malfoy snarled, wheeling around after he pulled his shirt over his head. "Just shut up! You've had your fun humiliating me, Potter! So now you can brag to the Weasel and all your other pathetic friends how you sucked me off and I enjoyed it!"

"No, I…," Harry trailed off. "You enjoyed it?"

It was a stupid question, being since the blond had been aroused in the first place, but hearing him say it brought strange tingles up his spine. Malfoy's fists clenched and he glared hatefully toward him.

"If I had been a little more aware of myself, Potter I would've had the sense to keep your mouth away from my dick! Clearly, you planned the whole thing! I bet you feel so proud of yourself! Well go on, go brag about it to the Daily Prophet for all I care! Just keep your face away from mine as often as possible!"

Malfoy made a move to head for the door, but Harry suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Malfoy, don't! I—"

"LET GO OF ME!" Malfoy roared, swinging his fist.

Harry didn't have enough time to react as the fist made contact with his cheek and sent him sprawling backward. Unfortunately, since Draco had used the shower recently, the floor was still slippery. Harry let out a sound of surprise as he lost balance, falling backward. He remembered feeling pain as his head collided with the stone floor, but that was it since he blacked out.

The first thing he realized was that his head was throbbing painfully. His memory was a bit fuzzy in that he suddenly didn't remember where he was or why he was in so much pain. As the throbbing began to dull when he began to get his senses back, Harry began to remember everything. His eyes remained shut even as he pictured Malfoy punching him and causing him to slip and fall. There was something cool and wet on the back of his head that he just began to feel. Had Malfoy left him lying on the shower floor? Suddenly, Harry panicked. What if he couldn't get up on his own? What if he was bleeding and no body found him until it was too late?

As these depressed and panicked thoughts came into his mind, he slowly moved his arm. His fingers touched the back of his head and he felt something odd—something that definitely wasn't blood or stone. It was some sort of spongy material. Slowly opening his eyes, Harry blinked a few times before a ceiling came into view. It was definitely not a ceiling that he seemed familiar with. Turning his head really slow, since he was still in a great deal of pain, he noticed that he was lying on a bed. Someone's pillows were in his sight and when he turned his head in the opposite direction he saw a bureau against the wall.

Harry tried to sit up but even moving his head an inch caused the throbbing pain to heighten. He decided to just lay there and try to turn his head. There was a sound nearby and Harry tried to look, but couldn't really move his head much. Footsteps came into the room and Harry tilted his head downward, without having to lift it, in order to see. Malfoy stood in his view with a grim expression on his face. The blond's eyes glanced in his direction and saw that he was awake.

"So I see you're not dead," Malfoy drawled, approaching the bed.

"I see you didn't leave me there to bleed to death," Harry said darkly, trying to keep his voice soft since his head pounded.

Malfoy snorted. "Please, Potter. There wasn't any blood only a large bump on the back of your head. And anyway, if I had just left you there I'd probably get kicked out since Niall doesn't accept fighting. It was chance enough that I was one of the few hundred who got in so I'm not risking expulsion!"

Harry was relieved to hear that. Perhaps he hadn't fallen directly on his head which might've been why his back was sore too. Then again, being a wizard made it easier as well since Hermione told him they don't get injured as easily as Muggles and they can heal faster.

Harry breathed in and winced. "What's this thing on my head?"

Malfoy breathed out in annoyance. "It's a healing cloth, Potter. I very well couldn't levitate you unconscious to your room in case someone found you like that and connected it to us fighting. Of course since you were knocked out I'd be the one to get in trouble."

"But you said there wasn't any blood, right?" Harry asked. He felt rather worried about brain damage.

"You would be dead by now if there was," Malfoy's voice dripped with sarcasm. "So no, Potter. There wasn't any blood and with that expensive healing cloth you should be bloody fine to go back to your own room."

Harry took in a slow breath, unable to shake his head. "I hate to break this to you Malfoy, but I can't move."

The blond pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "Potter, if you are suggesting that you stay here on my bed overnight then you are more bloody stupid than I first thought."

"Malfoy, I really can't move. I can hardly even turn my head," Harry protested.

"Then let me help you," Malfoy said, waving his wand.

Harry let out a hiss as his body was being levitated. "Malfoy, stop! That hurts!"

He felt his body being lowered back down and he closed his eyes tightly as a wave of nausea came over him.

"You are _not_ staying here!" Malfoy hissed, approaching the bed angrily.

Harry took in a couple deep breaths. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Don't you dare throw-up on my sheets!" the blond pointed a finger at him.

"Then don't move me again," Harry breathed out. "That really hurt."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Potter, there is no where to sleep except my bed. And you apparently can't move a muscle so what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Sleep in your bed," Harry said, tilting his head slowly to stare at him.

The blond crossed his arms slowly and glared down at him. "Potter, _you're_ in my bed, if you haven't noticed."

"You put me here," Harry countered.

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Trust me Potter, I would've left you there if there wasn't a risk of expulsion but since I'm not taking that chance I only brought you here because of the expensive magical healing cloths I have. The faster you heal, the faster you can get out of my face!"

"Stop, please," Harry winced. "Please lower your voice it's making my head throb. Look," Harry said quietly, "there's plenty of room in this bed and there is no way I can kick you or steal all the covers because I very well can't bloody move."

"Really Potter," Malfoy drawled, glancing at him from the side of the bed. "And what about sexual harassment?"

"Excuse me?" Harry asked as his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and surprise.

"I really don't want to be molested in the middle of the night."

Harry's mouth dropped open slightly. "Please Malfoy! I wouldn't molest anyone least of all you."

"You mean like last night?" the blond asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That was not harassment, Malfoy. You were very eager from what I remember. Let's just forget about it, okay?" Harry added quickly before the blond could retort.

"Contrary to what you say, I did not plan that nor do I want to run to the Daily Prophet. And no, I'm not going to tell Ron, Hermione or anyone either. Not to mention, I can't move. And you know what?" Harry countered suddenly, turning his head very slightly to look at him appalled. "You shouldn't even be talking."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow again. "What's that supposed to mean, Potter?" he drawled.

"You know, I didn't tell you this before to save you the humiliation but since you're trying so hard to embarrass me, I'll tell you. Remember when I told you about the party where you got so drunk and tried to punch me and you didn't remember anything?" Harry asked, staring at him.

"Well guess what? I left some things out. I shouldn't have been so nice about it. Frankly, what happened was that you did make a move to punch me but you didn't fall on the couch by yourself. You tripped over your own foot while trying to punch me, but you were so unsteady that you smacked right into me and pushed both of us on the couch. _Then_ you proceeded to masturbate on me. So please re-think your statement about _me_ sexually harassing you when I'm the one rendered immobile and you apparently think I'm a great tool for sexual-relief!" Harry exclaimed, wincing harshly as his head throbbed again.

Malfoy glared down at him. "Please, you think I believe that?"

"No? Go ahead and find some Veritaserum to give me. I'd be happy to tell you the same thing again," Harry said as he kept the eye-contact.

The blond stared down at him silently and finally uncrossed his arms. "Fine, Potter. But if I so much as feel you breathe close to me I'll hex you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine, just don't kick me off the bed. I'm in enough pain as it is."

"My alarm goes off at six, so be ready," Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"What? Why?"

"For school, Potter. You know, the thing we've been doing for the past few weeks," the blond quipped sarcastically.

Harry blinked. "Oh, right."

He had completely forgotten the next day was Monday. He watched as the blond waved his wand over his self to change into his boxers. Then the blond set up his magical alarm and prepared to get into bed.

"Uh, Malfoy?"

"What Potter?" he exclaimed in annoyance.

"I'm still in my towel," Harry said, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"So?" he drawled.

"Could you just give me some pajamas so we can go to sleep?" Harry asked, sighing heavily.

Malfoy pointed his wand at him and Harry suddenly had a vision of the killing curse coming his way.

"Let's see, Potter. How about a woman's lingerie?" the blond sneered.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to see me in womens' lingerie?"

Immediately, Malfoy's sneer dropped and he glared. Then he exchanged Harry's towel for sweatpants and a tank-top.

"You're kidding me? In the summer? I'll get too hot," Harry said, unable to look down at his self, but feeling like he had too many clothes.

"Deal with it. This way you won't have to get under the sheets," Malfoy said, sounding rather pleased that Harry couldn't fight back.

"Like I'd want to," Harry quipped sarcastically.

Harry was far enough on the right side of the bed that the blond easily slipped under the sheets and extinguished the lights.

"Malfoy?"

"Shut-up Potter," the blond said.

"What do I do if I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?"

The light suddenly turned on and Malfoy swished his wand in his direction. Then he extinguished the light and fell back down on his pillows all in less than ten seconds.

"What did you do?" Harry asked concerned.

"Potter, shut-up now before I make you a mute!"

"It wasn't a hex was it?"

"No!" the blond exclaimed angrily. "It was a spell used to control your bladder so you won't have an accident in my bed!"

"You mean…I can never go to the bathroom again?"

"Honestly, Potter! You're more than an imbecile!" Malfoy said angrily.

"Stop it!" Harry hissed, closing his eyes as his head throbbed. "It hurts when you shout."

"Then close that mouth of yours!" Malfoy said, though luckily it was quieter. "The moment you go into a bathroom is when the spell is broken! Now shut-up and let me get to sleep!"

Harry wanted to say something but knew if he did Malfoy would probably hex him. Sighing softly, Harry closed his eyes and despite the throbbing pain he tried to get some sleep. Strangely, it wasn't falling asleep that was difficult but waking up was incredibly painful. Harry groaned as something cold splashed over him.

"Potter, wake up! It's already seven!" Malfoy's voice echoed through his head.

"Nuhh…Stop," Harry said groggily. "Don't feel well."

He could hardly move or even breathe and his head was about ready to explode.

"Get out of my bed, Potter!" Malfoy's voice continued.

"I can't…stop screaming…," Harry groaned.

"I'm not screaming I'm talking in a normal voice," the blond sounded irritated.

"You're screaming…," Harry trailed off, groaning in pain. "I can't move…tell them…"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence as he passed out. Some time later, Harry stirred out of sleep and blinked blearily up at the ceiling. His head was still pounding, though it was less severe, but he still felt nauseous. He tried to breathe normally but it was hard to do with his head throbbing constantly. Moments later, as he was staring up at the ceiling, the door opened and Harry lowered his gaze very slowly to see Malfoy entering the room. He was wearing only silver-colored silky pajama bottoms but his hair was wet, which probably meant he had just come back from showering. The blond spotted him and seemed to stare at him for a second before approaching.

"You're still here?" Malfoy asked, clearly annoyed.

"I just woke up," Harry said, wincing. Why was he still in so much pain?

"You can't stay here forever, Potter," Malfoy drawled, glaring at him.

Harry ignored him, feeling more pain shoot up from his head. "Malfoy, I think…I think there might be something stuck in the back of my head."

"Yes, that would be your brain," the blond drawled sarcastically.

"Malfoy, I'm serious," Harry said between clenched jaws.

The blond sighed deeply and got on the bed. Harry stared at him as he came closer.

"If there is something there, don't pull it out! You're not a doctor so I don't trust you," Harry said.

"Hold still," Malfoy said, after rolling his eyes a bit.

Harry bit his lip as the blond slowly lifted his head up. When he went too fast, Harry winced but tried not to show anything else. The blond lifted his head up inch by inch and the pounding seemed to increase. Harry shut his eyes wishing that it would all go away. Then suddenly the pounding seemed to dull and he slowly opened his eyes. Malfoy snorted and suddenly took out his wand.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, staring at the wand.

Malfoy waved his wand toward the back of his head and Harry felt a warmth seep into the back of his skull soothing the aching. Although he was still in a little bit of pain, and still nauseous, it was better. Malfoy then got up off the bed and Harry watched him go thankful that he could turn his head.

"What did you do?"

The blond wheeled around in annoyance. "It was just a defective healing cloth that was taking longer than normal to work so I placed a charm on it to fix it!"

"So that's why the pain wasn't going away?"

"Obviously," Malfoy drawled. "Now, get out."

"I still can't move," Harry said.

The blond glared at him, clenching his fists. "Potter, you are not staying here again! Already you've probably spread your germs all over my sheets!"

Harry rolled his eyes and groaned. "Malfoy, the healing cloth will work now and my head is still pounding. If I move, I'm going to do more than spread germs on your sheets," he said, referring to his nausea.

The blond glared at him and Harry watched as he swallowed thickly. "Potter, _if_ I let you stay here again you're going to shut-up when I'm trying to sleep, got it?"

"Yeah," Harry answered, not in the mood to argue.

The blond's shoulders straightened and Harry got the feeling he was satisfied enough. "Good."

Draco then turned and walked toward his desk where Harry noticed a quill and a couple books were laid out. The blond sat down at it and opened a book.

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

The blond scowled and turned his head. "Potter, what did I say?"

"You said not to talk while you were trying to _sleep_. But you're not in bed. It's just a simple question."

"It's almost eleven and I want you to shut-up now," he glared.

"You don't have to get an attitude every time," Harry said as the blond turned his head again to glare.

"Do you want me to hex you?"

"Just one more question," Harry said.

"No!" the blond exclaimed angrily.

"How come you don't have the Dark Mark?" Harry blurted out.

Malfoy froze in whatever he was writing and slowly turned to face him. Harry subconsciously held his breath.

"Really Potter, are you that stupid?" he drawled darkly. "Do you really think the Dark Lord would let me wander around the school with proof I was doing his bidding?"

"I s'pose not," Harry answered. "Did you ever see him?"

Malfoy scowled again, wheeling around in his seat. "You asked your question, Potter!"

"I just want to know if you ever sa—"

"Yes, once!" Malfoy shouted in response, seemingly pissed off. "And if you don't shut your mouth I'll—"

"Wasn't he ugly?" Harry said, interrupting. He really just wanted to keep a conversation going. "I mean Voldemort. Did you know when he was human he used to look a bit like me?"

The blond's fingers clenched the chair and he glared. "No, nor do I care."

"Why didn't you kill Dumbledore?"

Harry saw the blond flinch as well and gripped his quill rather harshly. His cold silver-blue eyes landed on him and he knew instantly he had asked a very bad question. Harry gulped as the blond approached the bed with his wand in hand.

"You obviously want to be hexed Potter," Malfoy said coldly, staring down at him with narrowed eyes.

"I don't," Harry said instantly, staring back up at him. "I just thought since I'm lying here on the bed and you're sitting at a desk that you could pretend to be my shrink."

The blond's eyebrows furrowed in irritation and then his lips curled into a smirk. "No amount of talking is ever going to cure you of your stupidity, Potter."

Harry stared up at him silently, knowing very well if he said one word Malfoy would hex him with something. The blond kept their eyes locked together and finally wheeled around and headed back to his desk. Harry silently breathed out, relieved as Malfoy began to work. Harry was more curious about the blond than he'd ever been before. He wondered if Voldemort ever tortured him, or why he suddenly joined so young, or if Malfoy's father really did tell him to kill the famous Harry Potter.

All these questions burned in his mind, but Harry found no release. He sighed, already feeling a bit better now that Malfoy had removed the small splinter that had been piercing the back of his head. Hopefully when morning came, he could finally leave. It was becoming awkward being so close to the blond and unable to insult him because he had the advantage. Harry's eyes began to flutter closed and soon he was fast asleep.

When his senses began coming back, Harry inhaled and realized something smelled nice. It was some sort of aftershave type smell, only mild. Something soft tickled his face and Harry crinkled his nose in response. Slowly, his eyes opened and he blinked a couple times. There was something very blond in front of his face. Harry choked on his breath, backing away a little bit. Thankfully, his head wasn't pounding anymore so he was able to move. He realized just what sort of position he was in.

Sometime during the night he had moved closer to Malfoy—close enough to be right up against him. The blond was facing the wall, lying on his side and Harry was behind him sharing the same pillow. The blond's hair was in front of his face and his bare back was just barely brushing up against Harry's chest. Pulling away, Harry sat up and scooted back to his original position. His heart was pounding once more and he was staring down at the blond.

Malfoy was still sleeping and when Harry checked the time with his wand he realized it was a little past five in the morning. Staring down at the other boy, Harry noticed that he looked much nicer in his sleep—both peaceful and more even-tempered. It was funny how looks could be so deceiving. Still…Harry really did wonder how much the blond had suffered during the war as well. He truthfully had been a lot closer to Voldemort than even Harry had been, until the final few moments of confrontation.

_Bloody hell…what is wrong with me? Why do I care so much about him? And why do I seem to be attracted to him? I don't understand…Things have changed so drastically between us, to me and I don't…I don't understand how this happened. _

Sighing, Harry lay back down and watched Malfoy as he slept. The blond thankfully hadn't woken up to see Harry practically sleeping against him. Harry didn't even realize he fell asleep again until the alarm went off. He bolted up, looking around in surprise and watched as a groggy Draco turned it off. The blond turned and saw him sitting up.

"Good, you can move," Malfoy drawled. "Now, leave."

Harry opened his mouth to retort and then just nodded. "Erm…I…"

"Potter, the door is that way," Malfoy pointed to it as he slipped off the bed.

His stomach was feeling rather strange and Harry tried to fight the urge. Malfoy began approaching him with a glare.

"Are you deaf, Potter?"

Wordlessly, Harry made a move to step closer but Malfoy suddenly pushed at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Malfoy snarled, summoning his wand. "Are you going to attack me, Potter? After I—"

Harry suddenly brushed his arm roughly aside and kissed him right on the lips. Malfoy stumbled back, his eyes wide in surprise.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Harry said quickly.

Then without another glance back at the blond, Harry left as fast as possible. When he got all the way down the hall from Malfoy's common room, he began to get a panic attack. What the hell had come over him? He had first made a move to hug the blond in thanks for taking care of him, albeit reluctantly, and then when Malfoy had become his usual stubborn self, thinking that Harry wanted to hit him or something, he kissed him instead.

_Oh sure, Harry, why don't you make it even more obvious and ask him to go on a date? _

He groaned, rubbing his temples as he made his way to his common room to get dressed and get his books together for classes. He didn't understand his body completely—or was it his mind?—in that he couldn't figure out _why_ he was attracted to the blond. The question repeated in his mind constantly and he even denied it for a while. After the blow-job incident he tried to put the blame on the alcohol, even a little bit, but he wasn't drunk at all when he kissed him. So it was clearly obvious (to both him and Malfoy now) that he was interested in him.

But he couldn't possibly want Malfoy as a boyfriend? That was absurd! Ron and Hermione would confine him to St. Mungo's if he ever asked their opinion on that (not that he would—ever). He was definitely sure Malfoy wouldn't forget that. And now he realized that he had probably been attracted to the blond for some time, maybe even before he and Blake got together and just didn't realize it because of their past history. And how the hell would Malfoy act around him now?

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**_Author's Note: I know you all are DYING for Malfoy's perspective. It's only in Harry's P.O.V. but Harry will start to figure the blond out. Also, some questions will be answered later on, fear not! _**

To Reviewers: 

**The Earth Mystic: **Lol! Well…Blake's sort of understanding. He does get jealous easily. You got a little lost on Harry's bj for Malfoy? How so? If you could be a little more specific, I might be able to go in and make it more clear. Oh yes! I'm sure that would've been a wonderful scene for Malfoy to see Harry aroused during the massage. But I've got plans for them:-)

**Pixie9: **I assume that meant you liked it:-) Lol!

**Jeje: **Thank you!

**Skittlelove: **Sorry, tried not to make you wait too long since you said you were about to fall off the edge of your seat. Lol:-) That's a good sign though, for me anyway.

**Inner Self: **Thank you! Ah yes, outlines are the best:-)

**Branwen777: **Lol! Well…you don't really get to see Draco's reaction to the bj just yet, but you'll get answers to Draco's feelings soon enough!

**Tiger Eye2: **Thanks, I'm so glad you liked it! I know you're probably dying for more Draco/Harry stuff; it'll come soon, promise! Hints? Hmm…I suppose you shouldn't forget about Rita Skeeter. :-)

**DestinyEntwinements: **Yep, he sure will! Lol! You won't get to know his feelings on it till later, but until then Harry will begin to figure the blond out!

**Kin Pandun: **Oh good, I'm glad you're still enjoying this even if you like Harry being dominant. Sorry that it's not the case, but at least he's not girly or anything. :-)

**Cuteandnice: **Well, I'm sorry to disappoint a little but this is all in Harry's P.O.V. He will, however, begin to figure some things out about the blond and his feelings. So you will get some answers to what Draco is feeling, but it won't be till later on. Unfortunately, the two are still on a bumpy road to getting together. It takes a bit of time, but I promise you won't have to wait too long.

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Hey, sorry to disappoint but everything's from Harry's P.O.V. I don't like switching perspectives and I feel like that'd take away some of Draco's mystery. However, Harry will begin to figure things out about the blond and later some answers about Draco's feelings will be revealed. :-)

**C.Khafre: **Yay for outlines:-) Yes, I know it seems like Harry's doing most of the work, but that's because he's already figured out his feelings. Draco's a little more stubborn and it'd be too "easy" for him to just react gently to all of this. But don't worry, Harry's working on opening him up.

**Erica: **Thanks very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Yeah, I know what you mean about Harry and Draco not usually being in canon. I think it's because it is really hard to pair them together, you know? Being since the blond is so stubborn. But I know a way:-)

**Tgkur: **I know you didn't get to see much of Draco's reaction, but more will be revealed about his feelings later on. Thanks so much for that compliment! It took me a LONG time to learn how to make good chapters with an outline though. So don't sell yourself short, I'm sure you can do it. :-) Cute bunny-design! It is a bunny, right? O.o

**Dragenphly: **I'm glad you liked this! I do understand what you mean about moving a little fast. You see, sometimes you can't always believe what the character's thinking. You know, a false narrative or whatever it's called. Harry is just coming to terms with his sexuality and sexual feelings in general so he doesn't really know for sure what he's ready for and what he's not. The alcohol lowered his inhibitions and gave him the courage to seek out the desire his body was ready for. However, his mind still needs to catch up. I promise their relationship WILL NOT be based on sex or anything. There is much more to that and it won't just come like that:-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Lol! Yeah, I guess it's not exactly expected. And I know you don't really get Draco's P.O.V. but you'll understand his feelings more later on, even dealing with the blow-job.

**Meka: **Lol! Yes, we can always count on Draco being sarcastic, can't we? I know, you're disappointed that Harry didn't go all the way, but he wasn't ready. Have no fear, it will come eventually:-)

**Mrs-tw: **Thank you! I know you didn't really get to see how Draco reacted to the blow-job right after it happened, but you'll understand Draco's feelings later on once Harry starts to figure him out. :-)

**Kayla: **Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying this so far! Yes, I know they've been drunk almost every single time, but it's hard to put the canon-characters of them together, you know? Both of them are stubborn, especially Draco and it won't just happen in a snap. The alcohol is what lowers their inhibitions and allows them to go with their instincts and attraction for each other, even if they don't realize the attraction consciously. But don't worry, the alcohol is becoming less and less of a role as the story moves on. :-)


	12. Confession

**Captivation**

**Chapter 11: Confession**

Harry nervously approached the common room before breakfast. If he was lucky, Blake would still be there. It was his last day there and Harry didn't want to leave things on bad terms. Blake really was a good friend and Harry felt bad that he hadn't realized his attraction to Malfoy earlier. Harry entered the room and saw a girl brushing her hair in the chair. It was Dahlia (if he remembered correctly), Ambreen's friend.

"Oh hi Harry!" she smiled brightly, blushing a bit.

"Hi, Dahlia right?"

"Yeah," she giggled, cocking her head. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I was wondering if Blake was in his room. I need to talk to him."

"I think so. I didn't see him leave, but then again I wasn't really paying attention," she smiled softly. "You can go check. His room is O5."

"Thanks," Harry nodded, walking toward the stairs.

He found the room easily and knocked a couple times. Seconds later, the door opened and Blake stared at him. His eyes instantly narrowed but Harry quickly held up a hand.

"Please, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked gently.

Blake's glare remained harsh, but he stepped aside so Harry could enter. Once the door shut, Blake went back to his bed and began to pack up his things.

"Are you leaving now?" Harry asked.

"In about twenty minutes the flying car will be here to pick me up," he said, throwing other things inside.

"Oh…Listen, Blake. I really don't know how to apologize or make things better, but I didn't want to leave things between us like this," Harry said honestly.

Blake threw something harshly into the trunk and wheeled around, crossing his arms angrily.

"I get it, Harry. You like Draco. You know, you could've just told me instead of having me find out afterward. And it especially pissed me off when you didn't let me know about the blow-job. If it was such an accident then why didn't you tell me, huh?" he asked.

"I know, it was stupid of me to hide it from you. I just wanted to forget it ever happened," Harry said, sighing. "I mean…I really don't know if I _like_ Malfoy or not. He's attractive, yes, but so are you. I honestly don't know what happened that night and I know it's not an excuse," Harry said quickly. "I just…I really did like you, Blake. It wasn't that at all. And it wasn't that I was replacing you with Malfoy. I was thinking about it recently and maybe…maybe I've liked Draco longer than I care to admit. It's…disturbing in some ways because, well, we've always hated each other. But, I didn't want you to think that we broke up because of him."

Blake inhaled deeply, still looking a bit angry but he uncrossed his arms. "So, what exactly is it about him that you're attracted to, besides his looks?"

Harry shrugged. "It's certainly not for his charming personality," Harry said dryly. "Er…I wonder if maybe I'm sympathizing with him."

"Over what?" Blake asked curiously.

"Well…he and I both had run-ins with Voldemort directly," Harry said, as Blake winced. "Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting people still aren't ready to say his name."

Blake just shrugged it off. "No worries. I did hear a rumor about Malfoy's father being a servant or whatever. Is that true?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "I don't know…I mean, Draco's not evil in that he doesn't have the Dark Mark and he's not anything like his father, but I just wonder how much pressure his father put on him. Draco and I never got along I think because I…,"Harry paused for a second.

"He asked me to be his friend when we were eleven and I declined and I think perhaps he's still holding that against me, subconsciously at least. I think that the reason things are changing between us is because we're in a different environment now—a smaller school and studying the thing we both love, not to mention we're on the same team—and now I'm finally getting to know him. Once you get past some of his defenses I guess you can tell that he can be understanding. I never gave him a chance before…"

Blake sighed heavily and leaned up against the bed post. "Look, Harry, it's really not my place to tell you who you should date or not. I just got jealous because it was pretty sudden, I mean you getting with him and all."

"We're not together, Blake. And I understand your jealousy. Everyone's allowed to get jealous, but…did you have to hurt him like that?"

Snorting, Blake shook his head. "I reacted, alright. I was a bit drunk after all."

"When did you hit him?" Harry asked gently.

"It was before I confronted you about the blow-job. After he told me the truth because of the Veritaserum I put in his drink, I reacted and just began punching the hell out of him. But you know, he's pretty strong," Blake let a small grin show. "I got a few good punches in before he elbowed me in the stomach and knocked the wind out of me. Then he disappeared. It wasn't like I meant to really hurt him, I was just angry and confused, you know?"

Harry nodded and approached him slowly. "I do understand. I've been confused for a long time too, especially over my feelings. I think I'm beginning to understand them a bit now. And if it makes you feel better, Draco's fine. He's been putting some sort of cream over the bruises to hide them and he seemed more angry at me than you."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "That's hard to believe."

"It's true," Harry shrugged. "He thought I planned the whole thing out, you know…the blow-job and everything just to get you pissed off at him. I told him that wasn't true at all so he knows the truth. And I think he's over it."

"Does he like you back?"

Harry glanced up at the older boy, surprised. He really hadn't thought on that much. His assumption would be no, but it was hard to read the blond since he hardly ever opened up. Blake tilted his head curiously then closed the distance between them and put a hand on Harry's face.

"You should find that out then, if you think you like him," Blake said gently, cupping Harry's cheek. "I'm jealous now, but I know that you're not mine. You're an individual and I don't want you to be stuck with me when you like someone else more. After all, it is your life and…well, I know we agreed this was temporary and just experimentation in the first place but I think I got carried away with you being my boyfriend. I forgot about that agreement and kind of got possessive over you. I'm sure once I go to this new place I'll get over my jealousy," he grinned, stroking Harry's cheek gently. "Of course I'll have to brag about you."

Harry reached up a hand and touched Blake's. "Thanks for being so understanding, Blake. I'm really sorry I upset you. So…we're still friends?"

"Of course," Blake smiled, leaning down.

Harry's heart jumped in his throat for a second but Blake kissed his cheek softly. Harry smiled up at him gently.

"Good luck with your trip. Owl me once you get settled, alright?"

"You bet," Blake winked. "Don't get yourself into trouble now. Oh, and I hope you're feeling better."

Harry stared at him puzzled and Blake explained: "Tavis told me that your teachers were owled and told you were sick. He said something about you not even coming out of your room for a couple of days. Must've been pretty bad."

Harry forced a smile. "Er…it was. I could hardly move, but I'm all better now," he said. He felt rather grateful that Draco went through all that trouble to make sure no one got suspicious. "And I'll tell you any good stories that happen here."

"Good," Blake grinned as he pulled him in for a hug.

Harry embraced him back and then they parted. He gave Blake another smile as he headed for the door.

"Oh Harry?" Blake questioned as he turned around. "If Draco's being stubborn and won't open up to you, maybe you should use Veritaserum. It worked for me," he grinned slyly.

Harry glanced at him surprised and then nodded. "Thanks. Goodbye."

"Bye," Blake waved before turning back around.

Harry left the room and went out into the hall lost in thought. He couldn't possibly use Veritaserum…it would be wrong. No doubt Draco would never want to speak to him again, but then again maybe it was the only way to know if Draco liked him at all. After all, the blond was incredibly stubborn and didn't open up to anyone. Harry would always be wondering how he felt unless he forced the blond to start opening up. It was wrong, but now he was too tempted. He wanted to know what Draco thought about the kiss and whether or not he had any feelings for Harry.

The rest of the day Harry debated with his conscience whether or not he should risk it. Before he knew it, however, by dinner time Harry asked Tavis where they got Veritaserum for the Entranced or Cursed games. The boy revealed that there was a special room on the second floor—a secret room that they could get it from when they needed it. And Harry knew exactly what that room was: a Room of Requirement. There had been one at Hogwarts too. That was how Draco had let the Death Eaters inside…

Harry shook his head of those thoughts as he walked down the hall of the second floor. It was still dinner time and Harry knew it was around somewhere. Tavis wasn't sure of the exact location, but Harry was used to finding things on his own. He pressed his hands up against various walls wishing desperately. For about ten minutes he wandered all around wondering if perhaps Tavis was mistaken on the floor number. Then he found a wall nearby a portrait of the founder of the school (he was gone from the painting at the moment but Harry had noticed it before). When he thought about how much he wanted that Veritaserum, the wall suddenly opened before him.

When he stepped inside he saw it was a potions room with shelves full of various vials. Immediately, he began searching until he found the shelf for Veritaserum. He grabbed a vial and hurried out of there with it hidden in his robe. He didn't even go down for the rest of dinner. He went in his room and began pacing while the vial sat idly on the desk. If he was going to go through with it, he needed a plan. He needed Draco to be sober so that he wouldn't pass out or become disoriented. At the same time he'd have to find a drink to slip it into. An idea suddenly struck him. It would be a bit difficult but if he managed it Draco would have no reason for suspicion.

The next morning came and Harry went over the plan in his head again and again. He made sure not to look at the blond at all during class or in the dining hall. Once dinner came, Harry was incredibly nervous; his hands were clammy and he knew that one small error in it could lead to a very angry Draco and most likely getting hexed. This had to be done right. His plan was only to put three drops in Malfoy's drink—that would allow the potion to last up to twenty minutes. Draco walked in and Harry felt for the vial which sat in his pocket. He waited until Malfoy began piling food onto his plate before he got up and approached him.

Malfoy was distracted with taking a bite so he didn't notice Harry's presence until he sat down next to him. The blond looked at him with his usual cool expression, hiding any thoughts.

"What do you want Potter?" he drawled, taking a sip of his drink.

Harry stared at the drink then at him. "Er, I was wondering if we could talk privately after dinner."

Malfoy stared at him indifferently. "We have nothing to talk about."

Harry gave him a look. "It'll just be for a minute."

"Well get it over with now," Malfoy said, taking a bite.

"What about the word 'private' don't you understand?" Harry quipped sarcastically.

"Potter, I'm very busy and I wasn't pleased that I had to wash my sheets twice with a cleansing spell so stop wasting—"

"I'll tell Niall about the accident if you don't agree," Harry threatened suddenly. Threatening hadn't been a part of his plan, but Malfoy was really pissing him off.

Malfoy's expression darkened and he leaned forward, glaring intensely. "Fine, Potter. I'll talk with you for _one_ minute after dinner then for the rest of the year stay out of my face."

Harry nodded, inwardly fuming at the blond's irritating stubbornness. "So where should we meet?"

Draco took a sip of his drink again but didn't look at him. "We can meet in the library. No body will be there after dinner."

"Right," Harry nodded. "Oh, erm I think that girl was trying to get your attention."

Harry pointed and Malfoy's head turned instantly. Hurriedly, he uncorked the vial and dropped a few drops into the drink before jerking his hand back. Malfoy's eyes turned back to him and saw that his arm had moved, but Harry pretended to lean on his hand.

"I don't even know her, Potter," Malfoy said.

"Well it looked like she was pointing at you," Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'll talk to you after dinner then."

He got up slowly so as not to be suspicious and glanced over his shoulder to see the blond taking another sip of his drink. Then he began eating as if Harry hadn't even been there. His heart was racing, but he managed to calmly walk back to his seat. Thankfully, the dining hall wasn't that full yet since most people don't come right when dinner begins, usually but Harry was still afraid someone might have seen him drop something into Malfoy's drink.

As he looked around from his seat, however, everyone seemed to be lost in their own conversations. And unlike Hogwarts, the teachers didn't necessarily eat with the students. They could if they wanted to for there was a table for teachers, but it wasn't up front it was aligned with the other tables. It was still unnerving to wait even through dinner. Once it was over Harry hurried to the library wanting to be there early. Thankfully, Malfoy had been right about the library being empty. He sat at one of the tables where he could see the entrance and tapped his fingers anxiously.

"Alright, Potter, spit it out," Malfoy's voice came from nearby.

Harry turned to see him walking toward him and he stood up. "I just…well, first I wanted to apologize for, you know, kissing you without permission."

Malfoy crossed his arms and smirked widely. "Is that what this is? Some sort of guilt-release. Don't worry, Potter, I know how you Gryffindors are so over-sensitive. I didn't get the wrong impression. And now you've said your heart-warming apology," he drawled, turning around.

"You said something to me earlier," Harry said quickly, stopping him. "It was about…what happened a couple nights ago."

Malfoy turned around looking amused. "You can't even say it, Potter? You suck my dick and yet you can't even say the words 'blow-job' or oral sex?"

Clenching his fists, Harry's eyes narrowed. "Alright, about the blow-job. You said in the shower room that you…well, that you…e-enjoyed it but that if you had been more aware of yourself you would've stopped me," he said as Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "So…is that true?"

"Of cou…c-co…," Malfoy sputtered, putting a hand up to his mouth. His wide eyes gazed intensely at Harry, who stared back at him nervously. "Y-y-y…No!"

"No?" Harry asked wide-eyed, forgetting entirely about Malfoy's reddening face or how he was having issues getting the words out.

"What…," Malfoy breathed in deeply as his eyes practically glowed with anger. "What did you do to me Potter?" he spat.

"N-nothing," Harry stammered as Malfoy began approaching him quickly while pulling up his sleeves. "So you enjoyed the blow-job?"

"YES! N-n…POTTER!" Malfoy seethed with such anger. He waved his wand and it missed Harry, hitting one of the tables and knocking it over. "You put Veritaserum in my drink, didn't you?!" he shouted, rapidly trying to corner him as he started shooting hexes at him.

Harry ducked suddenly and shot his head up right after. "You weren't going to tell me the truth! You don't open up to anyone!"

"THAT'S HOW I AM!" Malfoy roared, pushing a chair out of the way as he chased after him. "I'm going to hex you into oblivion, Potter! And then I'm going to feed you Veritaserum and get all your deep dark secrets out in the open before I spread them around the school!"

"Malfoy, this is the only way to get to you open-up! I needed to know if…," Harry stopped as he jumped out of the way of a hex.

"I'm going to make sure Niall finds out!" Malfoy seethed, throwing another hex at him.

"You said you enjoyed it!" Harry exclaimed again.

"I was _drunk_!" Malfoy exclaimed, managing to knock him over with a simple leg-binding spell. "Anyone who was drunk would enjoy someone sucking them off, Potter! It's not hard to imagine!"

"What about the kiss?" Harry asked hurriedly as he scrambled to stand even as his legs felt like jello. "Did you enjoy the kiss last night?"

Malfoy's arm suddenly froze mid-air and his eyes widened. He tried to keep his mouth shut but for some reason he couldn't—the potion was making him talk. "Y…YES!" he screamed, inhaling with such fury Harry had to step back.

"You did?" Harry asked quietly, feeling something tingling in the pit of his stomach.

"Is that what this is Potter? An interrogation? Is this your way of trying to find a way for me to give you a compliment? To say that you're a great kisser or that you give good blow-jobs? And maybe you'd like to tell Rita Skee—"

"STOP IT!" Harry shouted, taking a step forward. "This isn't about the Daily Prophet. _Nothing_ is going in the Daily Prophet! I just wanted to know if you like me!"

The blond stopped at least ten feet from him with his wand still pointed toward him. Harry thought at first he would curse him, but Malfoy remained still. Swallowing, Harry took another step forward.

"Do you…like me?"

The blond took in several deep breaths and his eyes narrowed. "No, Potter."

Harry felt his chest tighten uncomfortably. Malfoy didn't like him? He didn't…

"How could I possibly like you?" Malfoy seethed, glaring at him harshly. "You think you can try and get me to admit I like you? How pathetic! Not only do I hate you more than ever right now, but I'm going to tell you something else. The only reason I enjoyed what you did was because I was drunk! That's the only reason!"

Harry's mouth was slightly parted in surprise and on the inside he was feeling the burn of disappointment. Suddenly, he registered what Malfoy said even as the seething blond continued to glare at him.

"You weren't drunk when I kissed you!"

"Oh really?" Malfoy drawled. "I remember that it was a dare, Potter."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "You know that's not the kiss I'm talking about, Malfoy! The one _I _gave you last night! You already admitted you liked it. You're just…," Harry trailed off when he realized what happened.

Suddenly, a hex headed directly for him and Harry didn't react fast enough. He was thrown backward into one of the bookshelves and groaned in pain as he collided and slumped down to the floor. He winced, putting a hand on his sore lower back as Malfoy wheeled around and left the library. The potion had begun to wear off. Harry wasn't positive when it had happened, but he was quite sure Malfoy admitted to liking both the blow-job and kiss reluctantly, which meant it had been the truth. He had obviously not wanted to admit it even to himself, but now Harry knew he had at least enjoyed it.

However, when he asked if Malfoy liked him he wasn't positive but he thought perhaps the potion had worn off at that time. Had Malfoy been telling the truth about not liking him? Perhaps the blond was right and that the only reason he liked the blow-job was because he was drunk and he didn't care who was giving it to him. But then what about the kiss? Harry was positive he had asked him while still under the potion's effects if he liked the kiss he gave to the blond the _other night_. Now, thinking back he started to doubt if he had been that specific. He hated that he suddenly wasn't sure. It had just been a few minutes ago, but what if he had just asked about Malfoy enjoying a kiss with him? That could've meant the time when they were both drunk and Malfoy was dared to do it.

And now he didn't know what to think. It hadn't gone exactly how he imagined it. He was sure it was bluntly obvious that he liked the blond. Still, he wasn't sure _how_ _much_ he liked Malfoy. Then again, every time Harry had done something intimate with the blond Malfoy just assumed he was doing it to either spite him or embarrass him. Was the blond just not saying that he knew Harry liked him or was he still convinced it was all a plot to ruin his reputation?

Rubbing his sore arm and back, Harry headed out of the library to Quidditch practice. Unfortunately, he was going to have to face the blond again. He needed answers and trying to slip him Veritaserum wasn't going to work again so now Harry had to find another way. His only real option was to confront the blond and try to get him to reveal the truth without the help of the potion.

During Quidditch practice, he completely avoided Malfoy. It wasn't hard since they were still training intensely for the match with the Muteki school which was in three-and-a-half weeks. Harry found out Muteki (Japanese) meant "invincible" in English and as Captain Murdoch said they were as good as their name. When he got back to his room he was so tired he just collapsed without changing.

By the time he woke up the next morning it was already twenty minutes past eight, which meant breakfast had already begun. He hurried to get dressed and went into the dining hall. That's when he noticed that people were staring up at him quizzically, some surprised and others wore unpleasant expressions. Harry approached his table quickly and Tavis and the others glanced up at him.

"Why is everyone staring at me today?" Harry asked, dropping pieces of food on his plate.

"You haven't seen it yet?" Tavis asked, glancing at Liam and Nicholas then back at him. "Here."

Harry was handed something familiar and as his eyes glanced down at it, he nearly threw-up (but fortunately his stomach was empty).

**Harry Potter—All Grown Up or Out of Control?**

_Harry Potter, the world's savior, has moved on to better things like the rest of us. He attends a private Quidditch academy: The Quidditch Academy of Scotland. Inside sources reveal that studying hasn't been the only thing on his mind. It appears that he has a growing intimacy with another boy. Whether this is a teenage phase or not has yet to be shown. Harry Potter has been intimate with an individual identified as Draco Malfoy--a Slytherin who graduated from Hogwarts in the same year. Not only is he a Slytherin, but his father is on trial in Azkaban for murder and being a willing servant of (the late) You-Know-Who. Sources reveal the two possibly have a more physical attraction rather than an actual relationship. Is this healthy in a teenage boy? Has the newfound freedom from the war led Harry Potter to teenage delinquency? This reporter will keep you posted!_

_Rita Skeeter_

Harry's mouth was open so wide his jaw was beginning to hurt. Tavis, Liam, Nicholas, Ambreen and Lina were all watching him curiously. His stomach was churning so badly he began to feel nauseous.

"I can't…how did she…this isn't true!"

"Oy, don't worry about it mate," Liam said.

"Yeah, no body in their right mind ever believes Rita Skeeter. Everyone knows how she either exaggerates or makes things up completely," Ambreen spoke with bitterness and anger.

"She's probably just making this up because the Daily Prophet hasn't got any real stories as of late," Tavis said, shaking his head.

"Some people believe her!" Harry exclaimed. "But even if they don't, this is going around to the entire wizard world in Europe! Now not only will people come up and bother me for autographs but they'll be interrogating me about my orientation! UGH!" Harry groaned, hitting his head down on the table. "This can't possibly get worse."

"Uh, Harry…erm," Tavis began as Harry raised his head slowly.

The other boy looked slightly nervous but wasn't looking at him. Harry turned just in time to see Malfoy standing in back of him with clenched fists.

"Potter, I need to see you _now_!" he seethed.

Harry didn't want to make a commotion or draw people's attention on them (since everyone was probably reading the Daily Prophet at the moment), so he got up quickly and followed the blond out. He glanced over his shoulder at Tavis who looked worriedly at him before they went out into the hall. Immediately, Harry was shoved so hard into the wall it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"I thought you said you weren't going to her, huh Potter?" Malfoy hissed, punching him across the face. "This was your whole plan, wasn't it?"

Harry blocked the next attack and kicked him in the stomach to push the blond away.

"Malfoy, it wasn't me it was Rita Skeeter!" he exclaimed.

"And how do you think she got the information?" Malfoy hissed, taking out his wand.

"She was spying on us!" Harry exclaimed quickly, backing away. "I swear I didn't go to her. When would I have had time?"

Malfoy was still glaring and was shakily pointing the wand at him. "Why the hell should I believe you?"

"She has a really small Animagus form: a beetle," Harry answered instantly. "And—"

"I know about her Animagus form!" Malfoy snapped. "What I don't understand is how she could've planned exactly the right spot at the right time to overhear us unless she had help!"

"She must've been hiding in the library the other night waiting for gossip. That's probably how she heard us."

Malfoy lowered his wand angrily. "And _what_ are you going to do about this Potter?"

"_Me_? Why just me?"

"Because _you_ were the one who gave me the potion!" he seethed, pointing a finger. "It's your fault she wrote this article!"

"You're the one who stupidly chose the library to meet in!" Harry countered angrily.

Malfoy pointed his wand in Harry's face again. "Don't test me!"

Harry glared at him, knowing that if Rita Skeeter was around there was a chance she'd find them (if she hadn't already). They needed to go to a safe place and there was only one place to go where she couldn't find them. Harry suddenly punched Malfoy in the face, knocking him backward. Then he dashed up the stairs toward the second floor, knowing the blond would follow him. He heard the blond a short distance behind as he ran down the hall. Once he got to the dead end where he was certain the Room of Requirement was, he wheeled around the see Malfoy approaching him with his wand pointed.

"Potter, I'm going to kill you!" Malfoy shouted, throwing a hex toward him.

Dodging out of the way, Harry held up his hand. "Stop, Malfoy! Magic can probably be detected by Niall. Do you want to get us thrown out?"

The blond glared at him intensely then put his wand away and lunged at him instead. Harry was shoved back into the wall and he nearly lost balance. He managed to block Malfoy's punch and threw him off. Then he charged at the blond, pushing him against the other wall.

_A private place where we won't be seen or heard, _Harry thought desperately.

Suddenly, the wall moved and Malfoy, who wasn't expecting it, fell into the passage way. Harry jumped in after and closed the room door.

"What's the idea Potter?" Malfoy snarled.

"I'm sure you're familiar with a Room of Requirement," Harry said as Malfoy's eyes narrowed coldly. "No one will find us in here so we can fight all we like!" Harry exclaimed, taking out his wand.

He threw a disarming spell at the blond who managed to dodge it. Malfoy whipped out his own wand and threw a mild curse at him. Harry ducked behind one of the couches in the room.

"This is what you wanted, wasn't it?" Malfoy shouted, throwing another hex toward him. "You want me to be utterly humiliated, don't you?"

"You think I enjoy it?" Harry retorted angrily. "I didn't ask for that article nor did I want it, Malfoy!"

"Who cares Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, opening his arms carelessly. "It has happened and now everyone's going to think we're an item."

Harry bit his lip angrily. What was so bad about that? Okay, he knew how awkward it would be and how Malfoy was Slytherin and he was Gryffindor, but those were just stupid houses in their old school. They were older now and even Harry was willing to put the past behind but Malfoy still held grudges.

"So?" Harry countered.

The blond gave him an incredulous look then a sneer. "So? I don't want people thinking I have some obsession with the famous Harry Potter! I don't need that humiliation!"

"Humiliation?" Harry retorted angrily. "So I'm humiliating to be around?"

Malfoy snorted and shook his head exasperated. "I can't believe I fell for your stupid Veritaserum trick, Potter! Maybe this is what you deserve for trying to embarrass me!"

"STOP IT! I AM NOT LIKE THAT!" Harry bellowed. "I can't believe you're so blind! Do you really think that I'd go through all this trouble just to embarrass you? We're not kids anymore Malfoy! I don't know about you, but I've grown up!"

"Don't patronize me!" Malfoy snarled.

"SHUT UP!" Harry shouted, banging his fist on one of the tables. "How can you not see? Are you seriously that naïve?"

"Naïve? Who the hell do you think you are?" Malfoy spat out.

Without warning, Harry shot a disarming spell at him without saying it aloud. Although it wasn't as powerful when not said aloud, it did the trick. Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's. Angrily, Harry threw both their wands aside and lunged for him. Malfoy was ready and attacked him back. The two threw punches at each other and Harry was hit roughly in the face. Startled, he stumbled back a couple steps but Malfoy wasted no time. He kicked Harry in the chest and sent him sprawling backward. He hit the side of one of the tables and fell over. Malfoy grabbed him roughly by the shirt and threw him up against the wall. Harry knew he was going to have bruises on his back by the next day.

Breathing heavily, Harry glared at him as the blond pinned him up against the wall, much like he did the first time Harry had seen him in the school.

"Ever since I met you, Potter you've been nothing but a pain!" Malfoy hissed, holding him tightly. "And now you think you can come in and take my Seeker position, take my chance at fame and humiliate my name, as if you hadn't done that enough already!"

"Your father put that on himself! He worked for Volde—"

Malfoy shoved his fist into Harry's abdomen, causing him to gasp as the wind was knocked out of him. Then he clutched Harry's wrist again painfully to keep him still.

"I'm not talking about my father!" Malfoy exclaimed harshly.

Harry wheezed, still trying to catch his breath as Malfoy's face came closer. The blond was looking beyond pissed and if he hadn't punched him, Harry could've probably kicked him.

"I'm talking about me, Potter! How you became the center of attention at Hogwarts without doing anything! How you became Seeker when you were eleven, even though that's normally not allowed! And then you get into the Triwizard Tournament—"

"I brought back Cedric's dead body!" Harry shouted, starling Malfoy who looked taken aback. "Do you think I enjoyed that? Do you think I enjoyed all that attention and pressure I got from everyone? I didn't take your place in anything! And I didn't ask to be famous! And I'm not taking your fame away now either! My being here has nothing to do with how well you are in classes or out there with the team!"

Malfoy was breathing heavily, still seething as he glared at him from behind narrowed eyes.

"And I never planned to humiliate you, Malfoy. Sorry to break it to you, but I've left all of my grudges behind. I don't care what other people think of me or about your reputation. If you're really that blind maybe I should spell it out for you and get it in the open so I don't have to listen to you complain anymore!"

Malfoy's grip tightened. "Then go ahead, Potter? Tell me!"

"I will if you let me go!" Harry exclaimed.

Glaring at him harshly, Malfoy's expression darkened. "I don't think s—Uuuh!"

Malfoy groaned painfully as Harry's knee came up right between his legs, causing him to wince. His grip loosened and Harry suddenly decided to show him instead. While the blond was bending over a bit with one hand cupping his sore balls through his jeans, Harry reached out and grabbed Malfoy's head. The blond let out a snarl but Harry crushed his lips against the other boy's. It must've been a complete shock to the blond for he tripped over his own foot, stumbling backward and taking Harry with him. Thankfully, there was a couch nearby and Malfoy bumped into the back of it, which prevented him from falling over. When the blond gained his senses, even though he was probably still in a bit of pain, he pushed on Harry's chest breaking the kiss.

Malfoy wiped his lips with the back of his hand staring at Harry with both anger and confusion.

"What the hell was that for Potter?"

"Are you seriously that dense, Malfoy? Do you really think I'd just give a blow-job to anyone or kiss someone I don't like?"

Malfoy's eyes widened then both his eyebrows rose. "Potter…are you saying that you like me?"

Harry licked his dry lips nervously and shrugged. "I guess so."

Malfoy's lips curled into a smirk and Harry had the urge to punch him again. "So, that's what—"

"Oh shut up Malfoy! Stop with the attitude!" Harry retorted angrily. "_That's_ why I used Veritaserum to get the truth out of you. You admitted to liking the kiss when you weren't drunk, I know it! And now that you're not under the potion's effects or drunk you're back to putting up that front you hide behind!"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Don't act like you know me Potter! And I never admitted to liking your kiss! And again, Potter, with the blow-job I was _drunk_. If I would've known you were going to initiate oral sex I—"

Harry suddenly pointed a finger. "Ah ha! You admit it!"

Malfoy gave him a dark glare. "Admit what?"

"You just said you remember I initiated the blow-job. So you weren't drunk enough to not know entirely what was going on! Which means," Harry said, staring at him intensely, "that you could've stopped me if you wanted to."

"Please Potter! You think I like the idea of your mouth on my dick!" Malfoy glared. "I think you should stop thinking so highly of yourself! Obviously, it's confusing you."

"You're the one who won't admit anything without alcohol or Veritaserum!" Harry shouted back. "Maybe you do like me but you won't ever say it, even to yourself!"

Draco laughed harshly. "Like you? First off, Potter, where do you get the idea that I'm gay like you? Second, I wouldn't date you if the wor—"

Harry threw himself toward the blond, not waiting for him to finish his insult. He punched him in the side of the head and knocked him down. Malfoy kicked his leg, causing him to fall over. Harry struggled as Malfoy wrestled with him, trying to pin him to the floor. The blond punched him a couple times across his left cheek even as he used his weight to keep Harry's legs pinned. His arms were free, for the most part, so Harry tried to push him off.

Suddenly, Harry reached up a hand and grabbed Malfoy's hair roughly.

"LET GO!" Malfoy shouted.

The blond punched him with his left hand as his right gripped Harry's hand, trying to pry him off his hair. Harry winced, but suddenly pulled Malfoy's hair hard, tilting his head upward. The blond winced and fought now with both hands to try and pry his fingers off. That left Harry's upper body free from being pinned down. He raised his self up slightly and pulled on Malfoy's hair, getting the blond's face down toward his.

Malfoy made a pained sound in the back of his throat, still trying to pry the fingers off his hair. Harry pushed the blond down roughly. It was unexpected so Malfoy didn't prepare for it and with both of his hands trying to get Harry's out of his hair he couldn't prevent himself from toppling forward. With their bodies pressed up against each other's, Harry suddenly wrapped one arm around the back of Malfoy's neck and kept the other in his hair. Malfoy was now struggling, trying to get control of Harry's arms.

All the pent-up frustration and desire inside of him was suddenly released and before he knew it, Harry clashed their lips together fervently. He tilted his head, keeping his hand in Malfoy's hair as his lips passionately moved against the blond's. Harry thrust his tongue inside Malfoy's mouth, suddenly becoming more desperate from having to hold in his feelings, and as his tongue found Malfoy's the other boy began to react. A low groan was pulled from the back of the blond's throat and suddenly the two were kissing while their tongues clashed roughly.

The hand that was wrapped around the blond's neck pulled him closer as the passion began to build. His hand then draped down the blond's back and Harry felt an intense fluttering in the pit of his stomach. Heat was also rising in his groin and he knew he wanted to feel more. He was so caught up in the moment he hadn't even realized that they were fighting before or that it was Malfoy who apparently hated him. It just felt so good that Harry couldn't stop, but suddenly the blond broke away gasping for air.

The silver-grey eyes stared down at Harry looking a bit dazed and shocked. Then Malfoy hurled himself off of him quickly and wiped the back of his mouth again. Wordlessly, the blond's eyes narrowed then he wheeled around and walked out of the room. Harry slowly sat up and got to his feet. He fixed his robe then left the room as well, heading back toward the dining hall. Just as he suspected, Malfoy wasn't there. He had finally told the blond at least, though he wasn't sure that made him feel any better.

Even during Quidditch practice later that night, the blond ignored him as if he didn't exist. Harry didn't want to talk to him anyway. He felt rather embarrassed about admitting he liked him, initiating a very passionate kiss, then getting rejected (more or less). Still, maybe that meant now he could try and move on and find someone else. It seemed that Malfoy didn't really like him, but perhaps just enjoyed the intimacy. After all, what teenage boy didn't enjoy intimacy? Although he felt the pang of disappointment in his chest, Harry tried to ignore it. It wasn't as bad as when he had asked Cho out and had felt like he wanted to be swallowed whole.

Quidditch ended and Harry didn't stay to take a shower, in case Malfoy was there, and went straight to his room. Once he closed the door he threw off his shirt and headed toward his bed. The hairs on the back of his neck rose up suddenly and he turned around. There seemed to be no one there, but he knew this feeling all too well. He remembered it from when he sensed Sirius in his Animagus form during his third year. Trying not to dwell on his Godfather for the umpteenth time, Harry walked further into his room. The feeling became stronger and he knew for certain he wasn't alone.

He thought for a minute and suddenly it dawned on him. Rita Skeeter was probably in his room. He was sure she had ways of finding out where he slept. Anger boiled inside of him when he remembered Moaning Myrtle spying on him when he undressed. And he had almost undressed entirely just then. Thankfully, he was able to feel her presence since she wasn't dead. Pretending to get ready for bed, Harry transfigured a piece of parchment into a jar. He wasn't about to take off his pants, if the infuriating reporter was there, so he pretended to be practicing magic. Then he pretended to search through his clothes and look around the room. His eyes gazed over his walls and sheets. Suddenly, he stopped cold when his stomach flipped uncomfortably.

The feeling of being watched was very intense now and slowly he inclined his head toward his desk. He picked up his shirt and pretended to fold it and take it over to the desk. He set it down gently and let his eyes stray. His heart jumped when he saw a tiny beetle hiding behind one of his books. Harry pretended to be fiddling with some papers as he placed the jar down on the desk. Then without warning, he slammed it over the beetle, which rapidly tried to fly away. Harry waved his wand around the jar to prevent her from transforming back into human form.

"Got ya Rita!" Harry exclaimed, smirking. "Thanks for that article by the way. Too bad no one ever believes your stories since you're a sly, inconsiderate reporter. This is my private room you know where I _undress_. Gee, if anyone discovered you were spying on a teenage boy like that, how do you think your reputation would do? I could always give _The_ _Charmed Quill _that interesting piece of information," he said, referring to a European newspaper even more popular than the _Daily Prophet_ or _The Quibbler_.

The beetle just buzzed, but Harry got the impression she understood and hopefully wouldn't be writing another article again.

"I think I'll send you to Hermione again. I'm sure you enjoyed her company the last time you became too curious for your own good," Harry said, scribbling to Hermione on a piece of parchment.

_Hermione,_

_I hope you're doing well. I am, but I'm sure you've seen the Daily Prophet. Another one of Rita Skeeter's pathetic attempts at ruining my life. Well, I found her in my room and threatened to tell the Quibbler that she was about to spy on a teenage boy getting undressed. Anyway, I caught her so I thought you'd like to give her a piece of your mind before letting her go somewhere far away. Thanks for this favor. I'm sorry to have to ask this of you. I just don't have time to deal with her right now. Talk to you soon._

_Harry_

Then Harry took the jar with him up to the Owlry. Hedwig was there dozing but Harry easily woke her up and gave her a scratch under her beak. Harry summoned a rope to tie the jar up good and then attach it around Hedwig's leg along with the letter. Hedwig flew off and Harry watched her go before he headed back to his room. It had been a very long day and Harry just wanted to get some sleep.

He wasn't sure how much he screwed things up with Malfoy, but perhaps it was better just to forget the blond entirely. In fact, he probably should've taken the blond's advice to ignore each other. Sighing heavily, Harry took off his pants and boxers, changed into new boxers and then slipped into bed. Staring up at the ceiling, he briefly wondered how Ron would react to the article. Would he believe it? It was ironic that most people probably wouldn't believe it, even though some would no doubt joke about it still, when it was actually very true. He didn't want to think about Ginny's reaction, however. Sighing, he closed his eyes hoping that his life wouldn't get any more complicated. No doubt it was going to be a long semester.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	13. A Proposition

**Captivation**

**_Pre-Warning: The next chapter has graphic sex so the lemon you've all been waiting for is on its way:-) _**

**Chapter 12: A Proposition**

A few days passed since Harry's desperate incident with Malfoy. He knew he had been acting like an idiot. He should've just tried talking to the blond (no matter how annoying Malfoy's comments would've been) instead of forcing his tongue down the blond's throat. He really hadn't expected to do that and now it seemed as if he had scared Malfoy off. Or perhaps the other boy really wasn't interested in him at all. Sighing heavily, Harry headed to his room thankful that the next day was Friday. When he entered his room he saw a letter sitting on his bed. Sitting down, he opened it.

_Harry,_

_I can't believe that woman went that far! Don't worry, I gave her the longest lecture I've ever given anyone. And I even threatened to tell the Ministry she went so far as to spy on you in your private room. She didn't watch you undress all the way, right? If so, I'll make sure her reputation gets ruined! Anyway, I did see the article. You can't imagine how hard I burst out laughing. I mean, you and Malfoy couldn't possibly stay in the same room without killing one another. And I don't understand why that Skeeter woman called you a delinquent. How many kids these days lost their virginity at fourteen. Who cares if you are having a relationship with another boy (though I know it's not Malfoy)? You're old enough to have sex (legally I believe it's seventeen in the wizard world) so she should really keep away from your private life._

_I charmed the jar to teleport to Sweden and once it gets there she can turn back into a human. Hopefully with both of our threats she won't try anything like that again. Who knows who else she's spied on like that, or worse to get information? She's just a terrible woman, Harry. If she tries anything again, we'll both go to the authorities. Sorry for my ranting. You really should've seen Ron's face when he read the article. He practically choked on his eggs. He even threw a tantrum too, yelling about how ridiculous Skeeter is. So don't worry, no body believes it. Oh! But Ron was wondering if you could visit this weekend, just because we haven't seen you in a while and there are some things we should catch up on. For instance…oh no, I'll wait to tell you when we meet in person! Okay, well take care Harry and don't let Malfoy get on your case about the article. _

_Hermione_

Harry smiled down at the letter, just imagining Ron's face. A part of him wanted to reveal to his friends about what had been going on, but what if they just looked at him with disgust? What if they didn't want to be friends with him anymore? There was a chance Hermione would be more understanding than Ron or anyone else, but how could he possibly tell them he had kissed Malfoy? And he especially couldn't tell them he gave him a blow-job. That would probably scar them for life.

_I don't really have to tell them. I mean, maybe if Malfoy and I were dating I'd feel obligated not to hide something like that from them, but we're not. Malfoy doesn't even like me. And I'm certainly not going to try and kiss him ever again. It's obvious there's no choice but for us to remain rivals. I'll just have to ignore him as much as possible and move on. So they don't have to know about what happened…it's all in the past now. It's over._

Sighing, he felt his chest tighten with disappointment again. What was he expecting Malfoy to do—confess his love for him so they could live happily-ever-after? That's not how it worked, especially not with someone so difficult and complex as Malfoy. The blond had grown up around the Dark Arts—around hate, vengeance, lying and killing. There was a good chance he would marry some evil, psychotic witch (like his dad married his mother). Malfoy probably wasn't gay and most likely he wanted to date purebloods only.

Shaking his head, Harry scribbled a reply to Hermione telling her he would love to meet with them tomorrow night. Then he crawled into bed and fell asleep. Morning came and Harry reluctantly got out of bed, dreading seeing Malfoy in his class. He was spared this, however, when he found out from Tavis that Professor Dmittri had a run-in at home—something to do with annoying Mooncalfs that apparently danced many patterns on his lawn and around his whole house the night previously (when there was a full moon).

Harry had heard of the creatures from Mr. Weasley. They often confused muggles when dancing patterns in wheat-fields but they were harmless. From what Tavis said, though, Professor Dmittri found their dung, along with their patterns, around his house and couldn't come to class for fear that they'd take over his property. So he had to wait at home for a wizard expert to come and plant charms to keep them away (and the short notice left no substitute). He was so grateful that he couldn't stop smiling all through breakfast. Now the only time he'd see Draco was during Quidditch practice, but it wouldn't be hard to ignore him.

"Oh and there's another party going on tomorrow night," Tavis grinned, leaning over toward him. "You know, since Blake left I assume you two aren't together right?"

Harry nodded, a bit nervous because of the other boy's expression. "Yeah…we're just friends now. Why?"

"Well, there are a couple other boys in my class who I overheard talking about you. Seems the word has spread that you're gay, mostly thanks to that article, and I heard them wondering if you were really dating Malfoy or not. I told them you weren't so I'm sure word got around that you're single. Some boys I'm sure are interested in seeking your attention. I do know a couple boys from my classes that are single, if you're interested. I can introduce you to them and you can see what you think."

Harry smiled. "Thanks Tavis. I mean, I'm not guaranteeing anything right now, but I'll see."

Tavis nodded and gave him a grin. Harry went back to eating and wondered if he should just take up the offer. Malfoy wasn't going to come around anytime soon, if at all. In fact, why was he still dwelling about the blond? Glancing sideways, Harry noticed that Draco wasn't in the dining hall. He wondered if it was because of him or if something had come up. Shaking his head of the thoughts, he continued eating. Then afterward he went to Quidditch practice where the captain gathered everyone around for a meeting. Draco was next to Liam with his arms crossed, but Harry couldn't really see him that well.

"Listen up, everyone," Mariabella said, pacing in the center. "We're doing good, but it might not be enough. I was going through the team plans for the past matches against them and we're still doing around the same things. I want to try a different approach this time around. Our match is drawing closer so I want us to be prepared, but at the same time I don't want you to feel overly confident. Always think that they're stronger, that they're one step ahead so that way you can anticipate any sly or unexpected move. Any questions?"

A girl's hand shot up and Mariabella nodded. "I heard a rumor that they don't speak much English. How will they abide by the rules here?"

"Good question. Their Quidditch captain can speak both English and Japanese so he will help out all of us. Actually, this man is well-known since he used to be the captain of a lesser-known team…er…I forget who they were, but something didn't work out there and he then studied several different languages and ended up at the private school in Okayama, Japan. His name is Oliver Wood, if I remember correctly," she said, as Harry's head jerked up in surprise. "I've met him a few times; good man and a very good captain so that's why we have to be prepared. Alright, let's get started on some of these new techniques!"

She blew her whistle and Harry, still open-mouthed, hurried to get onto his new broom and up in the air. He couldn't believe it—Oliver Wood was a Quidditch captain of a private school and that school was going to be challenging them. He would get to see his old captain again. In truth, Harry never knew what became of him after Hogwarts. And he had wanted to keep in touch with the man, but he was a very busy person.

During the war, Harry hadn't thought of anyone, really. He didn't want to dwell on who might've died or who didn't. Professor Trelawney had been killed, once Voldemort learned it was she who predicated the prophecy. Of course he drained her memories all first. There were also some families who were killed, like the Parkinson family. Although Harry never really got along with Pansy (he never liked her in the first place), he didn't think she and her family had deserved to die.

Apparently, Voldemort had been very angry when her family chose to stay at Hogwarts (since they were Slytherins) instead of joining him. They had been lured out of Hogwarts with a false Owl saying one of their family members had been killed and to come at once and then they were never heard from again. However, once the war ended and the Death Eaters were caught and fed Veritaserum, the Ministry found out which families and individuals had been killed.

Quidditch was intense and especially with the new techniques Harry had more to think about while observing. It ended a couple hours later and Harry was so weary he just went upstairs to his room and collapsed. As he raised himself up he saw a letter on his pillow. Slowly, he reached for it and opened it (despite his sore muscles).

_Harry,_

_I'm so glad you can make it tomorrow! Meet me and Ron at the Three Broomsticks for lunch by eleven, alright? Can't wait to see you! _

_Hermione_

Harry smiled at the letter and set it on his bureau. Hermione seemed very anxious to tell him something. And he was very thankful they'd be meeting at the Three Broomsticks instead of Ron's house. He didn't want to have a run-in with Ginny. He hoped that she was getting over him by now, but it had been barely a month since he left so she was probably still angry. Not that he cared—she could be angry and jealous all she wanted but he wasn't going back to her. All she really wanted was his virginity…and he didn't understand why it was so important to her to be his first.

It was true she had been "in love" with him ever since she was ten years old, but it was false kind of love. She hadn't really known him, even when he visited at the Weasleys' house for the first time. She fell in love with his name…with his scar and fame, with the rumors that he was a great wizard—fearless and powerful. That wasn't all true. Sure, he had learned to hide his fear and trust his power throughout the war, but he really didn't think he was all powerful.

Sighing, he waved his wand to change and got into bed. Since his vision was blurring he had to take another vision-healing potion, but thankfully it was working wonders. He'd have to stock up on some more in about a month. By morning, he was still feeling sore, but he got dressed around ten and flew off to meet his friends, thankful for a little break from the school. When he got there, he didn't see them outside of the Three Broomsticks so he went inside. Ron and Hermione were quietly conversing over butterbeer.

"Hey," Harry said.

Hermione beamed up at him. "Hey Harry, we were just discussing the good news!"

Harry seated himself and stared at both of them. Ron was looking at him with a slightly torn expression.

"Er…what's the good news?"

"I got accepted to a sorcery academy!" Hermione exclaimed, showing Harry the parchment. "There are only two in the entire world! Not many people stay in sorcery for long because it's so challenging so they actually allow twice as many people into the academy per usual because they know that many will drop out."

"Wow…," Harry smiled up at her. "That's amazing Hermione, congratulations."

"Yeah, great," Ron muttered, taking a swig of his butterbeer. "Now both my best friends, and girlfriend," he said, glancing at Hermione, "will be so busy I'll never get to see them."

Hermione patted his hand. "That's not true. We'll make time. And anyway Ron, we only have one life to live so we should live it to the fullest. Sorcery is my dream and it would magnificent."

"Just think, you'd have a super-powerful girlfriend. All the guys would be jealous," Harry grinned as Hermione blushed.

Ron glanced at him. "You wouldn't be jealous though because you're gay."

Harry looked at him surprised and Hermione sent him an apologetic look. "What's wrong with you? Are you angry because I'm gay?"

"No, it's not that," Ron shrugged. "It's just…you've always gotten to do amazing things, you know? And now Hermione has the chance and I…well, I'm still going to be boring me."

"Ron, you could choose to do anything with your life," Hermione urged him. "You don't have to follow your dad into the Ministry if you don't want to. Look at your brother who studies dragons. Come on, think of anything you'd love to do and just go out and do it!"

"Hermione's right," Harry nodded. "You should stop trying to please your dad and do what you like to do."

Ron gave him a weak smile and nodded. "You're both right. Er, sorry Harry. Didn't mean to take it out on you."

Harry shrugged. "It's fine. I was shocked at first too when I discovered I liked boys more than girls."

"Er, yeah, but there's nothing going on between you and…and _Malfoy_, right?" Ron gave a disgusted look.

Hermione huffed. "Oh, Ron! I told you not to believe that stupid Skeeter woman. I told you what Harry said she did to try and get information. She's sneaky, sly, perverted and desperate to get a story even if it's made-up."

Ron stared at Harry, who nervously just shook his head. "No, don't worry, Ron. I promise nothing's going on between me and Malfoy…nothing like that. We have gotten into fights though."

Hermione gave him a disapproving glance. "Harry, don't let him get to you. Otherwise you might get kicked out."

"I know, I won't," Harry said.

"So…where did she get that idea then?" Ron asked, sounding rather suspicious. "Erm…are you intimate with another boy?"

Harry swallowed. "I'm not really intimate. I mean, I did just separate with my boyfriend Blake, but we weren't really intimate…erm…I'm still a virgin I mean."

"Weren't you the one who said Harry should get laid while he was there?" Hermione elbowed the red-head.

Ron cleared his throat and looked down, embarrassed. "Er, yeah, but I was referring to girls."

"What difference does it make, Ron?" Harry asked. "Does it really bother you that much?"

"It's just hard getting used to, you know. It's just not something you see a lot, especially with a friend you grew up with. I'm not saying I'm against it, Harry, but it's still sinking in," Ron shrugged apologetically.

Harry inhaled deeply and waved it away. "Don't worry about it. I understand. Let's just drop the subject."

"Alright," Ron sighed. "Oh, before I forget. This is for you," he said, pulling out a letter from his pocket. "It's from Ginny. She said it's an apology and that she really needs you to read it."

Uncertainly, Harry reached out and took it. Giving Ron a reluctant smile, he slipped it into his pocket to read for later. The three of them talked about the future, about getting together on holidays and keeping in touch. Hermione told him she didn't start her academy until the fall so she still had time to get ready. And Ron told them he'd think about what he really wanted to do as a career. They separated a while later and Harry headed back to the school.

He went to his common room and sat on one of the couches. Then he pulled out Ginny's letter.

_Harry,_

_I know you think this is an apology letter. Well, I am sorry I got angry at you the last time for admitting you were gay, but I just don't believe it! I mean, I feel like you're just saying that because you got fed up with how I was acting. Anyway, we need to meet and talk. Meet me at the Hog's Head on Sunday at ten in the morning. I'll be waiting._

_Ginny_

Harry let out a frustrated sigh and crumpled the letter up. Why did she want to meet and talk to him? What was she going to do, try and convince him that he wasn't gay? Perhaps it would be a good idea to meet with her so that way she'd see that he was gay and there was nothing she could do about it. Then hopefully once she finally realized that he wasn't interested in her at all she'd begin to move on.

Later that night, Harry started getting ready for the party. He was looking forward to meeting other guys to try and forget about Malfoy. Tavis showed him the way to the common room and met up with Liam, Nicholas and others. They talked for a while, but then Tavis excused them so he could introduce Harry to others. The first young boy they introduced was about the same age, actually only four months older. His name was Aron (he came from a Polish family but grew up in England) and he had very short, gelled brunette hair and hazel eyes. Tavis introduced them and it appeared that Aron loved to talk about Quidditch. He asked Harry all sorts of questions, like when he started learning and such. He was a nice boy, though extremely talkative.

Finally, Tavis told him they had to meet someone else and Aron shook Harry's hand before they left. Then he was introduced to another boy who happened to be one year older than Harry was. His name was Lucas (he was from France) and he had short, wavy black hair and deep blue eyes. When he spoke he had a slight accent but it was easy to understand him.

"So you can speak five different languages?" Harry asked, rather awed.

Lucas smiled brightly at him. "Once you learn a couple you get the hang of it."

Harry nodded. "It's still amazing. I don't think I could ever do that."

Tavis patted his back. "I'll let you two get acquainted."

"Er, alright then," Harry said, nodding as the other boy left.

Lucas smiled at Tavis as he left and behind Lucas' back Tavis gave Harry the thumbs-up. Harry just smiled in amusement.

"So, Lucas would you like to get a drink and talk for a bit?" Harry offered.

"Sure," Lucas smiled.

The two went to the table to pick a drink then settled on a nearby couch. Lucas began telling him how he became interested in Quidditch. Harry found that the more he listened the more he found they had much in common. Lucas said he grew up in a poor family but that before the war his parents were paid a lot to help the Ministry (while risking their lives). And since his dad became the new broadcaster for the Quidditch championship matches (recently after the war ended), they had rapidly gained wealth.

"I went to every game since he began that job and just realized that I wanted to have a career in it. I wanted to be one of those players my dad announced to the world, you know?" Lucas glanced at him.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I know the feeling. I've loved Quidditch ever since I first learned about it. I had never dreamed of actually studying it, but I figured out I want to pursue it."

"We have quite a bit in common," Lucas laughed. "Both of us growing up in rather harsh conditions, being rather closed-off to other people for much of our lives and our love for Quidditch. I think we're going to be great friends, Harry."

Smiling sincerely, Harry nodded. "Definitely."

The other boy was extremely attractive, but Harry found that so far they were beginning to become friends. He wasn't really worried about dating at the moment—it felt nice just to connect to someone. Not to mention, he wasn't even sure if Lucas was gay in the first place. All Tavis said was that he would introduce him to single guys, but he doubted that Tavis knew their preferences. Not that it really mattered since Harry just liked talking to Lucas and being friendly. And while the older boy was attractive, Harry had no real feeling for moving things any further than friendship.

"So, Harry," Lucas turned to him. "If you want to…tell me about what it was like for you during the war."

Harry stared at the other boy slightly surprised. No body had really asked him that before; not even Ron or Hermione. His friends probably had a good idea what he went through, but this boy seemed genuinely interested and didn't even get excited over his fame. He treated him like a normal person and Harry realized Lucas reminded him of a mixture of his two best friends.

"Well…it wasn't pleasant," Harry began, shifting closer to the other boy. "I mean, I lost people I loved like many people have, but there was just so much pressure, you know? Everyone expected me to defeat Voldemort and I didn't have a clue how."

Lucas nodded, not even wincing at the name of the Dark Lord. "I understand. I lost some of my cousins and my mother."

"Your mother died?" Harry asked as his eyes widened.

Looking down, Lucas smiled sadly. "Yes, but she died after she received valuable information for the Ministry. They even gave my dad and I a plaque with her name on it—it was an award for her help. She was…killed because of a curse that was thrown at her when some of the Ministry members were attacked while on duty. It wasn't the killing curse, but something else. I'm not sure…," he trailed off. "One minute she was in the hospital just very weak and the next she fell into a coma. And she never woke up."

"Lucas," Harry said softly, placing a hand on the other boy's arm. "I'm so sorry. She died a hero I'm sure."

The older boy turned to face him and Harry saw his deep blue eyes were glimmering with unshed tears. Harry wanted to kiss him, but not romantically. He just wanted to comfort the other boy, as he would his best friends. Reaching out, Harry wrapped his arms around him and Lucas responded.

"You're so kind, Harry. I'm glad the war didn't turn you dark and bitter."

"Thanks," Harry said when he pulled away. "You're kind too. I really like you, Lucas. I mean, I haven't really been able to open up to anyone like this. With you, you're just so sincere and caring…I sound all sappy now, don't I?"

Lucas let out a light laugh and nodded. "But it's alright, I feel the same way. We should definitely hang out more often."

Harry smiled in return just as another boy approached them. "Hey Lucas, Tom was wondering if you wanted to play Entranced or Cursed."

"Sure, Harry do you want to play?" Lucas asked, turning to him.

"Maybe next time. I'm a little tired tonight so I'm just going to hang out here," Harry smiled at them.

"Alright, I'll see you after the game," Lucas smiled, getting up.

Harry nodded. "Have fun."

He glanced at the other boy who flushed when he saw Harry look at him. Then the two left and Harry watched them go. Lucas definitely seemed like a long-term friend. Harry felt some connection between them—like he could talk to the boy about anything. It was a nice feeling.

The warm feeling of friendship was ruined seconds later, however.

"So, Potter I see you're not randomly making out with the first person you see."

Harry turned his head to see Malfoy standing by the couch with his own drink in hand. It was surprising that he was even talking to him.

Rolling his eyes, Harry sighed. "What do you want? Come here to try to embarrass me or something?"

Malfoy snorted and slumped down onto the couch. "Actually, I'm just waiting for a friend to get here. She takes forever with her make-up."

"Most girls do," Harry said carelessly. "So why did you choose this couch to sit on?"

"It was convenient. And no, Potter I didn't think you'd be here," Malfoy drawled, taking a sip of his drink. "But you know, Potter, I have to give you props for bravery."

Harry glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, admitting to me that you were attracted to me I'm sure took some guts. And you have good tastes," Malfoy smirked widely.

"Malfoy, please stop with the teasing it's giving me a headache," Harry rubbed his temples. "You know, I'm not even sure why I became attracted to you, but I definitely know it's not because of your endearing personality."

"I know why, Potter," Malfoy's smirk widened. "You're attracted to my looks, which is understandable. Most girls couldn't keep their hands off me at Hogwarts, but, well many of them did because dear Pansy had it bad for me and she was quite the terror. But now that she's gone I suppose there won't be any wedding bells. I remember during seventh year she kept hinting to me to propose, but she really wasn't that attractive."

"That's a bit cruel," Harry said. "And anyway, I hate to break it to you Malfoy, but it's not like it was 'love at first sight' with you. Yes, you're attractive in your own…frustrating way, but look at him," Harry pointed, directing the blond's attention to Lucas who was sitting in a circle with the rest of the group playing the game. "Lucas is drop-dead gorgeous, but yet he and I are just friends. I'm sure you've seen him around, maybe at parties, but it's not looks that does it for me. Not that I'm saying it wouldn't be a plus, but really Malfoy I'm not that shallow."

Malfoy stared at Lucas and then glanced at him. "So if you have the hots for him, why don't you date him? Or give him a blow-job."

The blond smirked again but Harry ignored the comment. He was used to it by now. He figured out why Malfoy was always being rude and sarcastic. It was a protection, really. If Malfoy didn't want to face the fact that he had liked the kiss or anything else he didn't like, he would tease people about it—making jokes so that no body could really see how he felt about a certain situation. He was stubborn and felt like his reputation was all he had.

"You know, Malfoy I'm really not like that," Harry said softly, watching the game go on. "You and I don't really _know_ each other. I mean, we grew up in the same school but we were both always putting up fronts whenever we saw one another. And it seemed like your duty to be especially annoying to me. But we really never knew anything about each other. This school, however, made it possible for that to happen though. Now that the war is over, you're not controlled by your parents any longer and I'm not controlled by Dumbledore. We're both…free, I guess. Free to be whoever we want to be. And you know," Harry said, turning to him as the blond stared back at him.

"You really shouldn't care so much about what people think of you. No one that I've met here has even tied you to your father. Your reputation is like a clean-slate right now. You can make it however you want—this school provides a fresh start for both of us. That's why I want to leave the past behind; any grudges, any fears, just everything I'm leaving behind. You should probably do the same. If you keep dwelling on the past you'll never truly move on. It'll prevent you from really living."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the lecture, Potter."

"It's not a lecture," Harry said, getting rather annoyed. "I'm being honest with you. And why is it that you hate me so much? Is it because I didn't accept your friendship when you asked me?"

"We were eleven," Malfoy drawled. "I hardly think that matters."

"Then why?" Harry asked, staring at him seriously. "Why do have to keep up this persistent and obnoxious attitude? No offense, but it's not exactly mature."

Harry then turned away to watch the game again. He was sick of Malfoy at this point. If the blond couldn't act grown-up then Harry really didn't even want to be around him. The blond shifted on the couch and Harry kept his eyes away from him.

"Look Potter," Malfoy said and Harry turned to him again. "It's not about hate, it's about the fact that you annoy me. But now that you've told me you liked me, I guess I can forgive you for being the center of attention at Hogwarts."

Harry wheeled his whole body around and glared at him. "Malfoy, there are plenty of other guys I could go out with. I'm not mourning over you or trying to 'win' you somehow, so get over yourself! But what I don't understand is what you told me while under the effects of Veritaserum. Yes, I understand why a drunk person would enjoy oral sex, but I don't understand why a sober person would admit to liking a kiss and even participate in a second kiss."

"First off, Potter! You need to stop kissing people without permission!" Malfoy snapped, pointing at him. "And second of all, I never admitted to liking it when you kissed me."

"Yes you did!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "You did, but you just can't admit it, can you? You know what, it doesn't matter anyway. Apparently you're so high on yourself and completely obsessed with your reputation and how people view you, that you'd do anything to make sure everyone adores you. I think that's rather pathetic, Malfoy considering the fact that there's no humanly possible way to please the whole goddamn world! It doesn't matter what you do, who you date or marry, what sort of family you were born in, there will always be people out there who don't like you! Alright? It's not something that prevents you from living!"

"I don't care about what people think of me. Don't you think I've heard some things said about my father? And I don't really care if people think I'm like him or if they say bad things about him. My father's mistakes aren't going to show through me. I do whatever the hell I want to with my life, Potter. And I don't need you to tell me that!" he glared, crossing his arms.

"Why did you enjoy the kiss then?" Harry asked, changing the subject once more. "You didn't answer that."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Really, Potter I think you should just stop bringing that up and just know that if you try and kiss me again I will stop you."

"Don't worry I won't," Harry said firmly. "I'm not stuck on you; I can find someone else, but I just wanted to know the truth."

"The truth is that I'm not attracted to you, alright? There, are you happy?" Draco asked.

"But you enjoyed the kiss I gave you," Harry said. "So how does that make sense?"

"Potter, you are so irritating!" Draco exclaimed. "I do not like you!"

"Prove it," Harry said suddenly.

The blond stared at him and slowly uncrossed his arms. "And how do you expect me to do that? Kiss you and let you know if sparks fly?"

"No, how about a game," Harry said. "Not a drinking game, just a regular game. And if I win you have to go out with me for a week a—"

"Wh—" Malfoy began to protest.

"Just a week," Harry interrupted, staring at him. "A week in which you actually make an effort to get along with me. And then after a week is up you're free to never speak to me again, if you don't want to."

Malfoy pursed his lips and kept his eyes narrowed. "And why would I agree to this Potter? I could just never speak to you again starting now."

"Fine," Harry shrugged. "But I'm still going to think you had some feeling for me because of what you admitte—"

"I do _not_ like you!" Malfoy protested again, leaning forward angrily. "But if you really need me to prove it, then I'll agree to a game. But if I win, Potter, you'll not only agree that your trick with the Veritaserum doesn't prove I like you but you will also make sure an article is written in _The Daily Prophet_ that we are not together."

"Fine," Harry agreed. "What game do you want to play?"

The blond sat in thought and finally smirked. "Wizard's Chess."

_Oh bloody hell…_

"Alright," Harry agree, trying not to show his discomfort.

Malfoy got up and led him over to a set. The pieces moved to their starting places on their own and Harry nervously shifted in his seat. The blond obviously thought he was very good at the game since he wore a smug smile. It began with Malfoy starting off first and Harry tried to remember all the mistakes he had made when playing with Ron.

Unfortunately, by the time forty minutes had passed, Malfoy had several more of his pieces and was staring at the board not looking very concerned. Harry had a feeling he would lose. If he did, he'd have to forget about Malfoy and make sure Luna's dad published an article, but a part of him didn't want to have to do that. It wasn't because of the effort, but probably because he still sensed an attraction to Malfoy. But what was it about the blond that made him feel this way? He couldn't figure it out. Malfoy was rude, arrogant, sarcastic, sometimes cruel and heartless, annoying, very stubborn…Harry was having a hard time finding good points in him, except for the fact that he didn't seem to be a murderer and he was a good Quidditch player.

"It's still your turn, Potter," Malfoy said, leaning back in his chair.

"I know, I know," Harry said, staring down at the board. Suddenly, his eyes took in the whole board again.

He remembered seeing something similar when he was playing with Ron. Now he had a good idea of how Malfoy planned to beat him. The only question was: could he remember how it was possible for him to get to Malfoy's king first. He thought hard and suddenly it was like it just clicked. He remembered and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest in excitement. He was going to win Wizard's Chess for the first time in his life. Malfoy saw his smile and immediately his eyes narrowed. Harry realized that he could castle because there were no pieces between his Rook and King. This would guarantee his king's safety and in turn force Malfoy to move his Queen.

Harry told his piece where to move and Malfoy sat up and stared down at the board. The blond's fists were clenched and he moved his Queen, since any other move would put his King in Harry's reach anyway.

"Checkmate," Harry smiled.

Malfoy's king threw his crown to Harry's and the game was over. Malfoy sent him a glare and then rose out of his seat. Harry immediately got up and followed him.

"Hey, where are you going? I won fair-and-square."

"I know that Potter!" Malfoy hissed. "I'm going to get some alcohol because if I have to pretend to be your boyfriend for a whole week I'm going to need it!"

Harry glared at him only for a brief second before his anger dissipated. It suddenly clicked in his mind. Malfoy wouldn't have agreed to play if he really didn't have some feeling for Harry. If he really wasn't interested, he wouldn't care what Harry thought of him, which meant the blond was outwardly putting on a show because he most likely didn't want to admit anything. Whether or not he liked Harry as more than a friend or just liked his kisses didn't matter. There was something there that Malfoy was trying to hide and Harry now had a chance to open his shell, so-to-speak.

Malfoy grabbed several bottles and marched over to a couch where Harry joined him a minute later. The blond scowled darkly and opened one of them.

"Is that your answer to everything? Get some alcohol and forget about your problems?" Harry asked, annoyed.

"Potter, don't bother me right now," Malfoy said, sending him a glare.

"Remember the deal was to actually make an effort to get along while you're…," Harry trailed off, realizing what Malfoy said moments ago. "You know, I never said you had to be my _boyfriend_ I just said to date me for a week. Do you secretly want to be my boyfriend?"

"Please stop flattering yourself," Malfoy drawled, taking a swig of his drink.

Harry rolled his eyes and then snatched one of the bottles Malfoy had. "Fine, whatever. You still have to be nice to me for a week."

"I'm not doing any kissing, Potter," Malfoy said. "That wasn't in the deal."

Harry shrugged. "Okay, but you still have to go out with me."

"Potter, I don't exactly want people to start believing what Skeeter wrote."

"Look, I'm not saying we have to hold hands in public or anything. They don't have to know we're going out, but while we are you could at least act decent to me."

Malfoy snorted and began finishing off the rest of his bottle. Harry sighed heavily, wondering if he'd ever get through to the blond. A couple hours later, Harry was still sitting on the couch with a mildly intoxicated Malfoy. The two were still watching the Entranced or Cursed game, though apparently Lucas sat out after the first round. Harry finally got annoyed with Draco and snatched the new bottle out of his hand.

"Would you stop drinking? Can you just be sober for once in your life?"

"I've only had two bottles, Potter," Malfoy drawled. "It'll take much more to get me drunk."

"Look, let's just go, alright?" Harry urged.

"I don't need you to follow my every move, Potter. I don't care if we're pretending to date or not."

"Malfoy, can we go somewhere else and talk please?" Harry asked. "I want to talk to you while you're sober."

"There's nothing to talk about," he stated.

"Malfoy, remember our deal about you acting decent? If you don't stop with the attitude at least for the week we're supposed to be dating then I'm going to have an article published about how much we're in love."

That brought the blond out of his senses. Scowling, he got up from the couch and began heading out. Harry followed him from the party all the way to his common room. Malfoy wheeled around once inside of there and crossed his arms.

"What do you want to talk about Potter?"

"You need to stop drinking so much," Harry said as he approached him.

Malfoy snorted and gave him a look. "Do you care about me or something Potter?"

"Yes," Harry said instantly.

The blond stared at him silently and Harry just shrugged. "Look, we don't have to go through with the whole week thing, if you really don't want to. I know it's a bit…cruel of me to force you to do something you're not comfortable with."

Malfoy crossed his arms. "So then you don't believe I like you?"

"I don't know, Malfoy. You're incredibly hard to read. Look, how about we just make a deal. So that you don't have to put up with me for a whole week, how about you just kiss me? If you don't like it then obviously there's no attraction. And then we can forget about pretending to date, or whatever," Harry said.

The blond pursed his lips in thought. "So if I kiss you once more that's it? This whole thing is off?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Since we're both sober this will be proof that you don't like me. If we kiss and you don't enjoy it then that's it. Just tell me that and you won't ever have to go through this again. And you can choose to ignore my existence or whatever you want to do."

Malfoy stared at him with a blank expression and Harry stood waiting in an awkward silence. Finally, the blond took a step forward.

"Fine, Potter. One last kiss, that's it. And then you'll stop badgering me about liking you?"

"Yes," Harry said as the blond took another step closer.

He was suddenly feeling very nervous. Malfoy uncrossed his arms and came within a foot.

"Alright. Are you going to come closer or not, Potter? Let's get this over with."

Harry blinked and then stepped closer awkwardly. Now he realized why they had been drunk the last times. Being more aware made things much more difficult to deal with. The blond was making him so anxious that he just wanted to forget about the proof. As he stood closer, however, neither one of them made any moves. Finally, Malfoy rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Oh for God's sake, Potter," Malfoy drawled, stepping closer and pulling Harry toward him.

Harry uncertainly wrapped his arms subtly around the blond's back. He wasn't sure if Malfoy expected him to initiate it or not. However, he didn't have to worry about that as the blond roughly grabbed his arm and bent down. Harry didn't know why he was having trouble breathing but he met the blond half-way expecting it to just be a quick touch or something. The blond's lips fully came down on his and Harry shut his eyes, not wanting Malfoy to think he was afraid.

The kiss wasn't incredibly passionate but the touch of their lips together once again sent flutters throughout his stomach. Unconsciously, Harry lifted his hand and placed it on the back of Malfoy's neck. Then he tilted his head slightly to get better access. It was as if all the awkward has vanished and suddenly it felt so good again. It made his stomach squirm in excitement much more than it had done when he kissed Blake.

Without warning, Harry pushed his body flush up against the blond's and put pressure on Malfoy's neck. His lips began moving faster, more confidently and through the kiss Harry parted his lips a bit. He felt the blond move and Harry was sure he'd pull away now. Shockingly, Harry felt a something hot and wet slip between his parted lips and instinctively his tongue lashed out to spar with other one. Just as quickly as the kiss had happened, it began to get more and more passionate. Harry was lost in the feeling once more and he continued to kiss the blond, not worrying about the fact that it was supposed to be their last kiss.

Harry moved the hand that was at the back of the blond's neck up through his hair, trying to pull him closer. A low groan answered in response and Harry's stomach fluttered when he realized it had come from Draco. Harry suddenly let his other hand trail to Draco's back and his fingers found the end of his shirt. Without thinking, Harry allowed his fingers to crawl beneath the shirt, caressing the blond's warm, bare skin.

Harry made a sound of surprise in the back of his throat as Draco pushed him backward roughly until his lower back collided with a table. Then Malfoy's fingers raked through Harry's hair and Malfoy forced his neck back so their tongues could explore each other's mouths more easily.

The kissing became more passionate even as it became more desperate. Harry was sensing the heat traveling down to his groin but he couldn't stop. Every move felt so good. Harry's fingers tickled the skin as he trailed them over the blond's back, feeling the muscles flex beneath his touch. Just then, Malfoy roughly pushed his body up against his and Harry's breath caught in his throat. With their bodies now completely pressed up against each other's Harry could feel the growing erection. His body suddenly felt as if it were on fire. He wrapped his arms tightly around the blond, even the one beneath Malfoy's shirt, and then unexpected lifted one of his legs to wrap around the blond's waist.

Malfoy made a sound in the back of his throat and Harry's entire body was suddenly lifted. His gasp was muffled since their lips continued to stay connected, but he felt Malfoy half-carry, half-drag him sideways. Harry's legs stumbled when his heels hit some stairs. He struggled to climb backwards even as he made sure to keep their kiss in tact. His back hit something solid moments later and he felt the blond's hand move. The solid object in back of him moved and Harry moved backward, feeling his way even as he kept his eyes shut. A sound alerted him seconds later sounding like a door being shut but he was so entranced by his desire which was steadily growing that he thought nothing of it.

The kiss broke as the two gasped for air but almost immediately their lips came into contact again. Harry hadn't even bothered to open his eyes at all. Harry's hand raked through Draco's hair and down his neck as their tongues began caressing. Suddenly, Harry's legs hit something and he fell backward, landing on something soft. Draco fell right on top of him and sought out his mouth. Groaning, Harry felt his own erection begin to come to life at the feel of the warm body on top of him. And he was fairly sure he knew what he was lying on.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Frogginginsanity: **Thank you:-)

**Branwen777: **Oh good, I'm glad that was believable for you! Lol! Yes, poor Harry always has to be the better man. Well if you like a forceful Harry, how about a forceful Draco (in this chapter):-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Hehehe, ah yes but Draco could not run forever, right? Now things are really heating up!

**Skittlelove: **Well, things are finally heating up, wouldn't you say:-) I'm so glad I made your day! YAY! Hopefully this will make your day too!

**Pixie9: **Yes, Draco's being stubborn but finally he's letting his desires take over, hmm:-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Well, finally a more forceful Draco, huh? Hehehe! All of Harry's hard-work on trying to open him up is finally paying off. Hehe! Hmm, rebellion might be a better word. I'll have to look into that, thanks!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Yep! And now they're both communicating! Lol:-)

**Chosen-one4: **Tehehehe, well finally Harry's patience is paying off! Thanks!

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Lol! Yes, Draco is a frustrating character, but finally Harry is getting through to him, hmm? Oh good, I'm glad you like seeing your name here:-)

**C.Khafre: **Thank you! I guess the tension is really building now, huh? Tehehehe!

**Meka: **Well, your dream is almost there! There will be sex next chapter!

**Erica: **Thank you! Lol! Well, I have a lot of time on my hands right now since school doesn't start for another week. Yes, Harry was acting a little desperate but he just wanted to be sure he really liked the blond. And plus shutting him up is always effective with kissing. :-)

**Jonadark: **Hehehe, now things are really steaming up! Don't worry about reviewing every chapter, since I update quick enough. I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

**Mrs-tw: **Hehe! Yes, now you'll just have to see how Ginny reacts. And now it's finally getting steamy! Yay!

**Dragenphly: **Yeah, Harry's trick was a little underhanded, but Draco is just frustrating him to no end. And wouldn't you know it? Right when Harry gives up, Draco gives in. :-)

**atheneartemis**Thank you! I'm glad you like this! Oh really? I don't remember that at all! Do you remember which book shows how Draco knows about Rita's bug-form? I don't know why I didn't remember that. Lol!

**Inner Self: **Lol! No, Blake didn't rat on Harry. How many chapters? I'm not positive but I think only a few more.

**lamedianocheazul**Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you like this!

**Kayla: **Aw thanks! Finally Malfoy's coming around, huh? Tehehehe! Oh wow, your uncle is getting married? How cool! Good luck with that!

**Cuteandnice: **Finally Draco's coming around, right? Lol!

**Tiger Eye2: **I know, isn't that amusing that when Harry gives up, Draco gives in. Muahahaha:-)

**Tgkur: **Thanks very much!


	14. Pushing Boundaries

**Captivation**

**_Warning: Graphic sex is in this chapter. And there will be other chapters soon that have sexual content as well. I'll let you know!_**

**Chapter 13: Pushing Boundaries**

Draco's warmth seeped onto him as the other boy kept his body atop of Harry's. Their tongues were still sliding against each other's even as their bodies pressed firmly together. Harry groaned softly from the back of his throat and immediately his hands slid beneath Draco's shirt. The hot, smooth skin felt so good on his fingertips and Harry pulled the blond's shirt up as he caressed gently. Malfoy released a deep groan through their passionate kiss and suddenly pulled away. Harry opened his eyes in time to see the blond's head slide next to his as Malfoy began kissing his neck.

Harry arched upward, feeling goosebumps rise along his body as Draco massaged him. He kissed softly and even sucked a bit on his skin. He could hear Malfoy's rapid breathing and although he wanted to say something—ask if they were going too fast—Harry couldn't bring himself to break it. No words really needed to be said so Harry stopped thinking and began trailing his fingers up and down Malfoy's bare back. Suddenly, the blond rolled his hips forward and Harry gasped loudly as he felt Malfoy's erection rub against him.

Even with his inexperience, Harry knew that he wanted to feel more skin. Harry's arms tightened around the blond's back and he raised a leg, wrapping it around Malfoy's waist. He remembered when he and Malfoy had both rubbed against one another at the party and Harry decided to move his hips upward. He rubbed his hardening erection right up against Draco's. The two let out breathless moans and Harry felt his stomach flutter violently.

Harry knew his erection was growing and he wanted to feel much more than that. He suddenly trailed a hand down Malfoy's back and then dropped it down to his side where he felt for his wand. Waving it on himself, Harry made his clothes vanish so he was clad in only his boxers. Then Harry pulled on Draco's shirt to signal that he wanted the blond to take it off. Malfoy suddenly rose up and slipped the shirt over his head. Then he immediately lay back down on top of him and Harry felt his skin prickle as their warm chests met. Draco was shifting above him, groaning softly as he rubbed their abdomens together.

Harry breathed heavily, trying to calm his racing heart. His hands trailed over the expansion of the blond's back and he felt the muscles moving. Harry suddenly felt a bit more daring and allowed his hands to trail farther down the blond's back until he ghosted over his pants. His fingers lightly caressed over Malfoy's rear and the blond shifted again, breathing heavily by Harry's ear. Their bare chests kept in contact and Harry sought out Malfoy's mouth again to get the passion building. He turned his head and used the hand at the back of the blond's neck to guide them back into kissing.

Malfoy eagerly kissed him back and instantly slipped his tongue into his mouth. Harry groaned and thrust his own tongue against the blond's. His hand slipped from the blond's back across his ribs and to his hip. Slowly, Harry slipped a finger beneath his pants (like Blake had done to him once). Malfoy groaned in their kiss and Harry tugged at the material, trying to loosen it or pull it down. Malfoy rose up enough to move his own hand to his pants without breaking the kiss. Instead of undoing the button he reached into his pocket and grabbed his own wand. With a small jerk of his wand, his pants vanished and the wand dropped onto the bed.

Harry wrapped his arms once again around the blond's back and pushed their chests back together. As their hot skin touched again, Harry raised his leg back up and wrapped it around the blond's waist. Pushing up, Harry suddenly groaned deeply, hearing Malfoy's breathless gasp as their kiss broke. Their erections met and through their boxers they could clearly feel the friction. Harry's whole body was tingling with pleasure and he thrust up unconsciously for more of the friction. He was groaning constantly now, keeping his eyes shut as he rubbed his erection against Malfoy's. The blond was almost gasping for breath now and harshly clashed his lips against Harry's again. Their teeth hit at first from such a sudden movement, but soon their tongues were caressing and moving against one another.

Harry arched his hips up as their erections touched again and one of Harry's hands trailed up Draco's back and then raked through his hair. The blond suddenly thrust his hips downward and Harry grunted in pleasure sliding his other hand onto the blond's hip. He was so aroused now he could already feel his swollen erection pulsing. Their lips roved passionately over each other's as their tongues slid in each other's mouths trying to provide more incentive for release. The desire was building up and Harry could hardly take it. The hand that he placed at Draco's hip grasped the corner of the boy's boxers and began tugging it down.

Malfoy groaned softly arching his hips up as Harry began sliding it off. Harry moved the hand that was in Draco's hair down to his other hip and began pulling the other boy's boxers down completely. The blond shifted to allow his underwear to slide off his hips and down his legs. Carelessly, when it reached his ankles he slid one leg out and kicked the boxers off. Harry felt hands on his waist and lifted his hips up as Malfoy tugged his boxers down with ease. The moment they fell off his legs onto the bed, Harry wrapped his leg back around Malfoy's waist.

"God!" Harry groaned, tilting his head back as he lifted his hips the moment both their naked bodies touched.

Draco groaned deeply by his ear and Harry immediately pulled the blond's head toward him for another ravishing kiss. Their bodies rubbed together and both of them were letting out grunts and groans from the back of their throat. One of Malfoy's hands suddenly trailed gently down Harry's body and grasped the back of his thigh (of the leg that wasn't wrapped around him). Gently, he raised the leg toward his hip so that both of Harry's legs would be wrapped around his waist.

Harry's hips jerked in surprise when he felt something touch his entrance. It was hard but not warm. Seconds later he realized it must've been Malfoy's wand because there was an unexpected cool, wet feeling inside of his passage. It sent shivers up his spine, mostly from surprise at the sudden cold feeling inside of him. He figured it was some sort of lubrication.

Thinking about that word made his stomach squirm a bit nervously. Malfoy shifted, continuing to slide his tongue inside Harry's mouth as the blond placed both hands on either side of him. He was still lying completely on top of Harry but he lifted his self up just a little. Harry's hands suddenly grabbed Malfoy's hips roughly as he felt something warm and much bigger than a wand at his entrance. Anxiously, Harry tried to relax his muscles. His legs tightened around Malfoy's hips in reaction as a slight discomforting pressure began pushing inside of him.

It was thankfully a gradual process and Harry tried not to tense to make it more difficult. The pressure was uncomfortable at first and building up. His spine felt a little tingly and he tried to focus more on kissing until the discomfort passed. As he felt something move further inside of him, he registered the warmth and the slight pulsing of the erection that brushed up against his passage. Harry gasped, breaking their kiss and jerking his hips as a wave of pleasure rippled throughout his stomach. His whole body seemed to shiver in excitement as goosebumps rose on his skin. Malfoy's engorged penis was brushing up against something inside of him, whether nerves or something else, that was making his whole body erupt with pleasurable sensations.

"UGH!" Harry moaned loudly, rolling his hips upward as Malfoy pushed in all the way.

More friction and pleasure erupted inside of him and Harry arched upward, pressing his fingers roughly into Malfoy's skin. Malfoy groaned loudly, breathing heavily as he moved his hips. Harry let out a breathless groan as the bursts of pleasure began building up inside of him. His stomach was squirming so violently with the tingling sensation that he couldn't help but tighten his grip around the blond.

Then the pressure began lessening even as his nerves tingled as Malfoy pulled out a bit then moved back inside. Harry's hands shot up around the blond's back and he felt Malfoy's muscles rippling as his body moved atop his. The blond grunted softly as his hips rolled forward, pushing his erection deep inside and Harry dug his fingers into Malfoy's back. The pressure kept building and lessening even as his stomach fluttered because of the pleasure causing him to gasp and grunt in response. Harry was trying to breathe properly as he gasped and panted, feeling like his body would suddenly erupt from the intense sensation. His stomach was tingling and the pleasure caused his erection to throb painfully.

Malfoy was slowly thrusting in and out, moving his hands to around Harry's back as he did so. He was grunting constantly as well and Harry was moaning loudly completely lost in the euphoric pleasure. Harry fingers still gripped tightly onto the blond's back and his legs were trembling. He kept his legs firmly wrapped around the blond's waist, afraid of letting one of them drop in case it stopped the pleasure. Harry gasped as he felt his erection pulsate before he released his orgasm between them. Draco didn't even appear to notice as he continued to push his own erection in and out.

Once his orgasm ended, Harry's legs were trembling from exhaustion and one leg slipped down. Malfoy grabbed the back of his thigh and continued thrusting. He was panting by Harry's ear, groaning loudly now and Harry knew he was almost finished. Harry breathed heavily, groaning softly even as his limp penis didn't come back to life. He was tired but was still in a euphoric state; his eyes were closed and his hands remained wrapped around Malfoy. The blond suddenly thrust in with more force and released a guttural moan as his erection quivered inside of him. Harry gasped as he felt the strange warm sensation inside of him and his hips unconsciously lifted.

Draco remained still as he finished off his release before his body went lax on top of him. The two were breathing rapidly and Harry could feel the other boy's heart pounding in his chest as they lay together. Although Harry's muscles completely relaxed, he kept his hands around the other boy's back. Their skin was covered in perspiration and slowly Draco rolled off of him, groaning tiredly. He was still in a euphoric trance as well. Harry had enough sense left to wave his wand, which was still on the edge of the bed, to clean up the mess. Then he crawled toward the warm body and lay down against it.

Hours later, Harry groaned groggily as he opened his eyes. Looking up at the ceiling he stared at it, not really thinking about anything until he felt a movement next to him. Harry bolted upright and turned to see a nude Malfoy shifting in his sleep. He knew what they had done. It wasn't a surprise since he had been aware of it the night before, but he still couldn't believe it actually happened. He had lost his virginity to Malfoy. And although he was attracted to the other boy, he wasn't sure how the blond would react.

Swallowing nervously, Harry touched the blond's bare shoulder. His skin was still warm and Harry felt his stomach flutter. Ignoring any sexual thoughts or flashbacks of the night before, he began gently shaking the blond.

"Hmm…don't…," Malfoy mumbled in annoyance.

"Malfoy, wake up!" Harry exclaimed softly.

The blond slowly turned and his eyes began to open. Malfoy stared up at him and suddenly his eyes snapped open all the way. The blond rose up quickly and Harry scooted back a little.

"Er, I think we had sex," Harry said nervously.

Malfoy threw his feet off the bed. "What was your first clue, Potter?" the blond drawled.

Harry watched him stand up and summon his clothes. "Malfoy, er, what now?"

"It's simple, Potter," Malfoy said, turning around as he pulled up his pants. "If you don't blabber anything no one will find out."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Harry said, not caring that he was naked and not covered up. "We just had sex."

"So? Many people do," Malfoy said, slipping on his shirt.

"So, what? You're just going to pretend like it never happened?" Harry asked as his eyebrows furrowed in both shock and anger.

Malfoy sighed irritably and wheeled around to face him. "What do you want me to do? Broadcast it around school?"

"Why can't…," Harry trailed off for a second. "What about being exclusive?"

The blond suddenly halted in buttoning his shirt and slowly turned around. His mouth was slightly parted.

"Exclusive, Potter?"

"Yeah, you know, like having a relationship and not seeing othe—"

"I _know_ what exclusive means," Malfoy drawled in annoyance. "And no Potter."

"What? Why?" Harry asked taken aback.

Malfoy gave him a look. "Because of my sanity, Potter. Don't you think people will start believing that woman's article if we're seen holding hands in public?"

"First off, I never said anything about holding hands in public. I'm not talking about being intimate in front of people, but…that doesn't make sense! So you can have sex with me but you can't date me?" Harry asked, still struggling to comprehend what the blond was saying.

"Potter, I'm not discussing this with you. I have to go."

"Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, sliding off the bed. "How can you be this way? You tell me you don't like me then we have sex and we were _not_ drunk! Why don't you want to date me? What's the real reason?"

"Potter, just think about what you're saying!" Malfoy exclaimed hotly, wheeling around to face him. "We are not going to go out."

"Is it your reputation? Are you seriously going to let people's opinions dictate your life?" Harry countered angrily.

"Drop it, Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, narrowing his eyes.

"You're unbelievable!" Harry exclaimed through a clenched jaw.

He snatched up his wand, waved it around his self so clothes appeared and then he angrily left the room. No one was in the common room when Harry left, not that he would've cared. The blond was back to being his normal, arrogant and sarcastic self! Harry didn't understand why they couldn't date. They had had sex and the blond obviously had some sort of attraction to him. He knew it wouldn't be that easy, but for some reason he thought Malfoy would be a little more open to the idea after doing something so intimate.

Hitting his fist against the wall as he walked down the hallway, he realized that he still had to meet with Ginny. It was a little after nine so he still had time, but he wasn't sure what to do. She was most likely going to question him about Rita's article and now it was definitely true. He had slept with Draco and if Ginny ever found that out she'd not only be pissed at him but she would tell Ron and Hermione.

For the time being, Harry was going to keep what happened between him and Draco a secret until he could figure out what to do. He would give Malfoy some space and time to register what happened between them before confronting the blond again. They couldn't just ignore that it happened and he was definitely going to give Draco a piece of his mind after he let the boy be alone for some time. He wasn't sure if it had been Draco's first time or not, but perhaps the boy was just feeling intimidated and embarrassed about seeing each other after having sex.

Rubbing his temples, Harry tried to think of what he would say to Ginny. Obviously the only way to keep her at bay was to convince her he had a boyfriend and he liked guys, not girls. He obviously couldn't try and drag Draco there, being since they weren't going out and the blond wouldn't want to help him. Not to mention if Ginny saw them together she'd freak out and run to Ron instantly and Ron would freak out even more. Suddenly, Harry stopped in his tracks. He had an idea.

Changing direction, he headed toward the Sapphire Common Room, hoping that Lucas wouldn't be mad if he was still sleeping. When he entered the common room he was grateful to see the young boy from the party sitting in a chair reading. The boy looked up and nervously flushed at seeing Harry.

"Hi, could I ask you a favor?" Harry asked, approaching him. "Could you tell me which room Lucas is in?"

"Um s-sure," the boy stuttered. "He's in S2."

"Thanks," Harry nodded.

He approached the door and knocked gently, hoping that Lucas wasn't a deep sleeper. A moment later a disheveled and sleepy Lucas opened the door. He blinked, rubbing his tired blue eyes.

"Harry? S'up?" he murmured.

"I'm so sorry to wake you, Lucas but I need a huge favor," Harry said, giving the boy an apologetic look.

Yawning, Lucas nodded and opened his door so Harry could step inside.

**XXXXXX**

Hogsmeade wasn't so busy that early on a Sunday so there weren't a lot of people inside the Hog's Head. Harry checked his watch and saw that it was only five minutes after ten. He went inside and saw Ginny stirring her drink as she stared out a window. Reluctantly, he approached her table and the red-head glanced up at him and smiled.

"Harry, it's so nice to see you," she said. "I'm sorry we haven't gotten along lately. I've been in a bad mood, but I wanted you to know I've missed you."

Harry sat down and as a menu floated to him he waved his wand at the drink he wanted.

"Yeah, I got your letter Ginny. I was really hoping more for an apology and I know that I yelled at you last time. However, you were attacking me verbally."

"I know," she said quietly. "And I'm sorry about that. I just worry about you."

Harry sighed. "It's understandable Ginny. We're friends and we practically grew up together. But there are some things about me that you have no right to control, like who I chose to date," he said firmly, but quietly.

Ginny pursed her lips and glanced down at her drink. "I know, Harry, but I told you I feel so strongly about you. When I think of not being with you, it really hurts."

"Ginny," Harry said quietly, "listen to me. I know how you feel, but I told you I'm not interested in girls. I'm sorry I didn't realize that sooner, but I was preoccupied with the war. And to be honest, we never really had much of a relationship going anyway. We just hung out like in the past and only a few times did we kiss. I never told you we were an item, you just assumed and I was too afraid to hurt your feelings and break it off before. I just thought once I went away to stop Voldemort that you'd just pull away for safety and find someone else later on. I really don't know why I kissed you that one day in our sixth year. It was my fault for initiating it and I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to lead you on—I honestly had no idea I was going to do that nor that it would cause this to happen between us."

"I know you say you're gay, Harry. I know you say that you're not interested in me, but what if it's just a reaction because I scared you off? I know I was coming on strongly, but if we try again we can go as slow as you need to," Ginny persisted.

Harry shook his head, realizing that she still wasn't letting go. He subtly glanced at the blinking, floating numbers in the air by the bar and noticed that he just had ten minutes to go before his plan would kick in—the plan that Lucas agreed to help him with.

"I am gay, Ginny. When I said I had a boyfriend earlier I wasn't kidding. I tried it out with you very briefly and whether or not I lost interest because I was gay or not, I just don't have romantic feelings for you. And then at the school I met a guy there and tried it out with him and I really like him, Ginny," Harry said slowly, making sure she heard every word.

Ginny's eyebrows furrowed and she stared at him slightly open-mouthed. "So…you have a boyfriend then?"

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding.

"So what you said at the house last time was true," Ginny whispered aloud.

"It's not Malfoy though," Harry said quickly.

Ginny just nodded instantly. "I know that. Like hell I'd believe anything in the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter hardly ever writes the truth."

Harry nodded relieved and took a sip of his drink. "Yeah, so…again I'm sorry, Ginny. But there's nothing I can do. I only discovered my orientation recently and I know how much you say you're in love with me. But don't you think it's odd that you want to do mostly sexual things with me? You just want me because you want me, as in you want the famous Harry Potter—the boy you became obsessed with when you were ten. It's all a fantasy, really. You never truly knew me you just fell in love with the fictional story of me—the hero and powerful wizard. I mean, admit it," Harry said, staring at her. "I wasn't attractive when you first met me."

Ginny shrugged. "Maybe not like gorgeous or anything, but you had beautiful eyes."

"And they were hidden by dorky, way-too-big glasses, Ginny. It wasn't for my looks or for my personality because you didn't know me. So it's obvious you fell in love with the _idea_ of me, rather than the real me. And you want to be the only one to…to touch me sexually," Harry said _very_ quietly. "Don't you think if it were really love you wouldn't be so obsessed with wanting to be the only person who has ever touched me?"

"Are you still a virgin?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Harry's mouth parted but he shook his head. "Ginny, it's not your business. You see, this is what I'm talking about. For some reason you have this need to control me romantically. You love the idea that you'd be the only one to touch and kiss and have the famous Harry Potter all to herself. But what about my feelings? I'm not just some trophy you can have in your possession."

"I don't think of you as a trophy," Ginny said quietly. "And…I don't know, Harry. I just…I can't stand the thought of you having sex with someone—anyone—else."

"And that's why it isn't love. I just explained to you what it was—an obsession."

"I know, I heard you," Ginny sighed irritably. "And I don't believe I'm that shallow, Harry. I mean, yes I fell in love with you at ten when I hardly knew you, but like you said we grew up together."

"Ginny, you know you're only making excuses now," Harry said firmly. "Just think about all the times you've ever seen me or thought of me and you'll realize it was never thoughts of love. You were either thinking of having me sexually or wanting me to go everywhere with you and do whatever you wanted. You just want to control me…you love the fantasy Harry Potter, Ginny."

"You are a fantasy! You're every girl's dream-come-true. Look at you! You're sexy now, especially without your glasses, you're kind, strong, brave, smart and you saved the world! What girl wouldn't want you?" Ginny exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows.

"But you only want me to rub it in other girl's faces," Harry said. "And that's not a good enough reason to say you love me."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but at that moment someone approached them. Harry smiled thankfully at Lucas as he came forward. Ginny stared at him surprised and Harry saw her gaze up and down his body.

"Can we help you?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"Ginny, this is my boyfriend Lucas," Harry said, gesturing to him.

Ginny's head swiveled back to him looking surprised and Harry just scooted over so Lucas could sit next to him.

"I told him to join us so that you could meet him," Harry said.

"It's a pleasure," Lucas smiled, leaning over to kiss Harry's cheek.

Ginny's eyes were wide with surprise and Harry smiled at the other boy, silently thanking him.

"So he's…I mean you two are…," Ginny trailed off, looking at both of them as if she had just been told Voldemort had returned.

"Yes, we're together," Lucas smiled. "And Harry tells me you're like a sister to him."

Ginny pursed her lips again, obviously not liking the fact that Harry described her as family.

"So he didn't tell you about us?" she asked firmly, sounding a bit forceful.

Lucas just continued to smile as he took a sip of Harry's drink. "Yes, he told me."

Ginny glanced at Harry in surprise then back at Lucas. "Even what we did in the Chamber?"

"You mean what you did to him?" Lucas corrected. "Yes, he told me about that. He told me about everything actually. And we agreed I wouldn't come in until he had a moment to explain to you his feelings once again."

Ginny grasped her cup rather harshly. "Have you two had sex?"

Harry felt his body tense and he glanced at Lucas who just stared at her casually.

"That's none of your business," Lucas said calmly. "I believe Harry told you his preference."

"Yeah, he told me!" Ginny exclaimed. "I still can't believe it…you'd choose him over me? I mean…I could give you way better sex! You just never gave me a chance!"

"Ginny, it has nothing to do with sex," Harry emphasized quietly. "Maybe for you it is, but for me I'm looking for something more. And I felt nothing with you. We weren't even in a relationship, as I told you. You just never wanted to let me go—you didn't want to believe that I wasn't yours."

"You _were_ mine!" she raised her voice as her lip trembled slightly.

Harry stared at her, feeling his own hand clench around his glass. So she finally admitted that she thought she owned him.

"Harry isn't property, he's a person—a person who has gone through intense dark times," Lucas said softly. "If you really do care about him, you'll want him to be happy. And though you might be upset that you can't be the one to make him happy, you should let him go. You should move on as well and then you might feel better."

"I don't need to hear this from you! You're the one who took him from me!" Ginny exclaimed, shaking her head as tears began glimmering in her eyes.

"I broke up with you long before I met Lucas, Ginny! Even before I knew my orientation! So even if I hadn't turned out gay I still felt no romantic feelings for you! Please, just let me go! Stop trying to control me and have me for yourself! It's like you're trying to cage me like a pet or something," Harry said firmly. "How can you love me if you don't want me to be happy?"

"You could be happy with me! I would do anything for you! I even thought about marrying you several times!" Ginny exclaimed desperately.

"I wasn't happy with you even when you thought we were together. You knew I had never had a girlfriend, Ginny so you had an idea that I didn't realize you thought of yourself as my girlfriend. And I'm happy with Lucas," Harry said.

Ginny bit her lip and angrily stared down at her glass. Then she lifted her head and inhaled sharply.

"Fine! Stay with your stupid boyfriend, what do I care!"

She got up and left her drink there as she stomped out of the place. Harry slumped down and hit his head against the table. He felt a warm hand on his back and he glanced up into Lucas' face.

"Don't worry, Harry. This is all you can do with someone like that," Lucas said gently.

"Really?" Harry asked hopefully.

Lucas smiled and nodded. "Yes, I once had a friend who dated a girl much like her and a similar thing happened when he tried to break it off with her. She thought he was cheating and actually began paying some of her friends and his friends to spy on him and take pictures and such. She offered money and sex to me but of course I turned her down."

"So what happened?" Harry asked, staring at him curiously.

Lucas tilted his head and leaned back. "Well, he finally just said what he needed to say to her and let it go. He didn't answer her owls and he just didn't let her control his life. Then he found someone new and at first she was giving them trouble whenever she saw them together, but later on he moved away with his new girlfriend and started fresh. She doesn't seem like the type to stalk you and pay people to spy on you, but just give her space. The more you leave her alone completely the faster she'll get over her obsession with you."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Thanks for this. I'm really sorry to have to drag you into this as a guinea pig. Especially if you're not…er, gay or anything."

Lucas laughed lightly. "No, I'm not gay, Harry. But I don't mind doing these things for friends. It seemed like you needed help."

Smiling, Harry grasped his hand in thanks. "You're a great friend."

Lucas squeezed his hand back. "You're welcome."

"I just hope she doesn't find out you're really not my boyfriend."

Lucas shrugged. "I doubt she'd ever find out, unless she saw you with another boy. Just don't worry about it, Harry. She believed it and I think she realizes now that you're not interested and no matter what she says or does it's not going to change that. Actually, would you like to hang out around here for a little while? I have to pick up some things anyway. And this way we could spend some quality time together."

"Yeah, I'd love that," Harry said, smiling.

The two got up and left. Harry was thankful that he had gotten the meeting over with and now he could enjoy time with a new friend. He and Lucas checked out several stores even after he finished his errands. They didn't get back to the school until close to two in the afternoon.

"Thanks again," Harry said, hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome again," Lucas chuckled, rubbing his back. "It's really no big deal, Harry."

Smiling, Harry nodded as he pulled away. "So I'll see you at dinner then?"

"Yeah, I'll come sit by you and Tavis," Lucas smiled, waving to him as he left.

Harry sighed happily, feeling very thankful that Lucas was an easy person to talk to. And he knew the older boy would always be there for him—he'd shown that already and they had just met recently. Lucas was right—Ginny would get over him eventually as long as he left her alone. And now he could focus on talking with Draco and getting things sorted out. There was no way he was just going to forget about what happened between them.

He didn't go to him that night though, wanting to give the blond some space. The next morning at class however, he approached him once it had ended.

"Potter, I'm not talking to you," Malfoy said quickly as he headed out of the room.

Harry followed him. "How can you pretend like it was nothing?"

Malfoy wheeled around and then after looking around them, he gestured to him.

"Listen, Potter! It was just sex, alright? Stop making a big deal out of it. It's over and we can put it behind us. That's what we have to do, got it?"

Then the blond wheeled around and walked quickly away. Harry was so furious he stormed off to his next class, wanting to strangle Malfoy so bad. Why would he expect the blond to care? It didn't make sense at all how the blond reacted, but Harry ignored his instincts which were telling him there was something else going on. Instead, he allowed the anger to boil and he decided that he'd just have to ignore Malfoy's existence. The Quidditch match was coming up soon and he knew he couldn't get distracted. Somehow, he'd have to forget about it for the time being and focus on school work and Quidditch.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**_Author's note: I know you're probably all anxious to get Harry and Draco permanently together. It will come eventually, promise! _**

To Reviewers: 

**Lollylover: **Heehehe…er, yeah, I meant England. Thanks for catching that. :-)

**Branwen777: **Well, finally they get together! Er, sort of. Lol! Thanks!

**Tiger Eye2: **Hehehe, er, no they're not an item…yet. I promise they will be eventually.

**wIthOUt A nAmE**Lol! Haha! That cracked me up so much, what you said! Hahaha! Well, I'm betting this chapter got even more of a rise out of you, hopefully. :-)

**Kari-sama: **Oh good, I'm so glad you like the pairing in this, even though generally you don't read it. It makes me feel like I'm doing a pretty good job then. Thanks!

**FieryAries313: **Lol! Well, I really like ice cream. Hehe! Yeah, Draco and Harry do need some kinky toys. Hehe! Unfortunately, they're not quite together yet…I mean permanently, but they will be! I'm glad you like this, thank you!

**Pixie9: **Lol! Hehe, well good thing I got this up soon, huh:-)

**AsDaysGoBy: **Lol! Thank you! I'm very glad you anticipated this chapter, hehe! Hope the, er, lemon was yummy enough!

**The Wykkyd: **Aw, thank you! I'm so glad it was steamy enough, the kiss I mean. Lol! I know, you're probably disappointed that they're not permanently together, but they will be eventually!

**Skittlelove: **Well, at least they went through with it! Hehe…but yeah, they're not together permanently. At least not yet, but I promise they will be!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Yep, they sure are:-)

**The Earth Mystic: **Hehehe! Yeppers, Draco shared his bed. Unfortunately, they're still not together yet. It will come soon though!

**Chosen-one4: **Glad you liked the kiss, hopefully this chapter was yummy too! Hehe!

**Person: **Lol! Well, I'm very glad you liked it. It's a good thing I updated soon:-)

**Meka: **Yes indeed, and it's not over yet:-)

**C. Khafre: **Hehehe! Yep, I shall update again soon to not leave you hanging!

**Saiyou-the-lover: **Hehehe, lol! Thank you! I'm so glad you liked that chapter! I hope you liked the yummy-ness in this one too. There's more to come:-)

**InuAce: **Oh my! Thank you very much! Wow, I feel so honored that you have me listed on so many things. I'll continue to update quickly!

**atheneartemis**Thank you for that! I'll have to watch out for those little details now and again:-)

**VeriAequeRedem**Aw, well thanks for reviewing for this chapter! I'm so glad you liked it! I will continue to update soon!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Oh good I'm glad you liked it! Oh, sorry I guess I didn't make that clear…I keep missing these little details. Well, Harry DID owl him yes, but he hasn't seen him in person since Wood left Hogwarts so that's what he's excited about. Sorry about that!

**Gbheart: **Yeah, lemons are hard to write! So I hope this one was pretty good:-)


	15. A Solution

**Captivation**

**_Pre-Warning: Sexual content next chapter! _**

**Chapter 14: A Solution**

The next few days passed slowly and Harry became more and more aggravated. Draco was still avoiding him and he had stopped trying so nothing had been resolved between them. Harry wanted desperately to barge into Draco's room and yell at him or hit him or something. Ever since their intimate night, Harry had had trouble sleeping. Not only because of the anger and frustration concerning Draco's reaction, but also because he had flashbacks of having sex and had woken up sticky a couple times.

Harry decided to give the blond a bit more time before he confronted him once again only with much more determination. He was going to get Malfoy to answer his questions eventually. There had to be some way to get through to him. That night after dinner, Harry went to Quidditch practice as usual. During practice while up in the air Harry got a chance to fly by the blond.

"Malfoy, we need to talk," Harry said firmly.

"Go away, Potter!" Draco hissed. "I'm trying to concentrate and I don't want to talk to you."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Harry retorted angrily. "You can't keep avoiding me or pretending like it never happened!"

Malfoy glanced at him and narrowed his eyes. "Just leave it alone, Potter."

"No," Harry said firmly. "Because you were…," Harry trailed off, swallowing thickly. Should he tell Draco he was his first? Would it matter?

"You don't get it, do you? You need to leave me alone!" Malfoy hissed. "I don't want that Skeeter woman coming around here, accidentally eavesdrop on another conversation again and write another bloody article!"

"That's all you're worried about isn't it?" Harry snapped. "Well just so you know, Hermione took care of her and sent her off to Sweden. And with the nasty threats both me and Hermione gave her she wouldn't dare come around here again. So _now_ what's your excuse?"

Malfoy inhaled sharply and glared at him. "Potter, I'm needed now so let me do my training."

"Wait!" Harry shouted, but Malfoy zoomed off.

Harry angrily tore in the opposite direction, searching around for the snitch. Why was Malfoy being such an asshole? Perhaps he should try to guilt-trip the blond by telling him it had been his first time. Maybe Malfoy knew how to use his heart. Even with the fact that Rita Skeeter was gone, Malfoy still wanted nothing to do with him and it didn't make sense. Earlier, before they were partners in class or anything Malfoy hadn't distanced himself from Harry, even though they weren't getting along. And now…it had to have been because of the sex. Did Malfoy regret it? Was he not gay and he was disgusted by himself and Harry?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the bludger until it was already pelting his way. Although Harry's broom was fast enough to dodge it in time, Harry had to jerk his body suddenly. He let out a muffled cry as he felt a pull in his shoulder muscle. Because of the swift pain, Harry lowered himself to the ground rapidly, clutching at his shoulder. The captain immediately hurried over to him looking concerned.

"Harry, are you alright?" she asked, reaching out to touch his arm.

"I'm fine—it's just a strain," Harry said, wincing as he tried to move his arm.

Mariabella sighed and then nodded. "Why don't you go take a hot shower and rub your arm? We need you in good shape for when the match comes up so don't strain yourself."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

Mariabella nodded to him as he slowly got up and headed toward the showers. The training continued for the others, but Harry was glad to have a break. He entered the shower room and slowly pulled out his wand to undress. His arm was very sore because of the muscle so any movement made him wince. It would be fine in a day or two but for the time being it hurt a lot.

Turning on the faucet, Harry took in a deep breath as the hot water hit his skin. Very slowly he began rubbing his sore arm beneath the water, even as sponges washed his body. He knew it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes later when he heard Mariabella's whistle, signaling the end of the training. That meant he hadn't missed much. He heard voices as people enter the showers and Liam came inside.

"Oy Harry," he smiled. "Did you get hurt?"

"Just my arm," Harry said. "It's a little sore."

"At least it's nothing serious, right?" he said.

The other boy began washing his hair and Harry sighed heavily, wishing once again that life wasn't so complicated. Moments later, things only got worse. Malfoy entered the showers and stopped cold as he saw Harry. After glancing at him for a split second, Harry turned away and completely ignored him.

"Hey Draco," Liam grinned. He was oblivious to the tension between the two other boys.

"Hi," Draco said bluntly, walking over to one of the faucets.

Harry made sure not to look at him or even glance in his direction. Instead, he focused on massaging his arm.

"Want me to help you rub that arm, Harry?" Liam asked, rinsing soap off his body.

"Er, I'm fine really. But thanks," Harry answered.

"Sure thing," Liam said, turning off his faucet. "Well, I'll see you both tomorrow."

He waved at them and Harry gave him a weak smile as he left. Now he was left with Malfoy and he was very tempted to turn around and confront him, but he was tired. Plus he knew the blond wouldn't open up easily and he wasn't in the mood to try. Harry turned off his faucet and walked out of the shower room. He then went into the other room for his wand and got dressed. He took his time and Malfoy came in moments later. Harry sighed heavily and rubbed his arm.

"Draco, are you ready to talk yet?"

"No," the boy said quietly, yet firmly.

Harry stared at him exasperated. "Why not?"

"Because there's nothing's to talk about," Draco said as he summoned his clothes.

"I can't believe you're acting this way!" Harry snapped. "If you were going to act like this afterward you should've stopped."

Draco angrily threw on his shirt, glaring. "Oh, like it's my fault Potter? You're the one who asked for that kiss!"

"And you kept going!" Harry exclaimed defensively. "We were both sober and I assumed you wanted to keep going! You could've stopped it at any time, Draco! You know, of all the cruel things you've said and done in the past I didn't expect you to be the type to use people."

"Oh, and you weren't using me to compensate for the loss of Blake?" Draco asked, giving him a cold look.

"No, I wasn't, Draco. Because you're the only person I've ever slept with," Harry admitted coolly.

Draco turned around and stared at him but Harry just continued. "I wasn't using you, Draco. I admitted to liking you, despite your cruel personality, and I was willing to put our grudges behind us and get to know each other. But you…you say you don't like me, you continue to be cruel, then you act like you wanted to go as far as sex but then afterward you make it seem like it was nothing; as if you were just using me because I was conveniently there.

"So excuse me for being a little pissed off about that, especially since I'm not the kind of person to go around sleeping with just anyone. I thought that you were admitting to me you liked me back by continuing so I decided to let my guard down, Draco. I could've slept with Blake or Ginny in the past, but I didn't. And I chose you because I thought you were serious about it. But I guess not," Harry said angrily, grabbing his broom. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell the Daily Prophet or anyone what a cruel, arrogant asshole you are, nor about how you use people. So don't worry about your precious reputation."

Harry wheeled around and began heading out when suddenly a hand roughly grabbed him by the sore arm and pushed him up against the lockers. Harry winced, immediately gripping his sore arm as Draco stood up close to him looking furious.

"You are not going to leave like that Potter! You wanted to talk now you listen to me! I didn't think you were serious when you admitted to liking me the first time, Potter! So I wasn't sure if you were just saying that to try and get me to let my guard down so that you could try and weasel some information out of me," Draco spat out, keeping their eyes locked. "And I did not plan on having sex with you, alright? I did not decide to do it out of some severe sexual need. If I was in desperate need of some sex Potter, I certainly wouldn't come to you I'd go to some adult club, don't you think?"

"Then why won't you date me?" Harry blurted out.

Malfoy inhaled sharply and kept his eyes narrowed. "I can't, Potter! That's all you need to know!"

"That's not good enough! If you don't tell me I'm going to assume I was right and that you were using me!" Harry shouted.

"POTTER! I HAVE TO GET MARRIED!" Draco yelled furiously.

Harry stared at him taken aback and he blinked a couple times. "You…married?"

"Yes, Potter!" Draco spat. "So, you see why we can't date?"

The blond stepped back from him but Harry shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. Is there a girl? I mean, you never said anything—"

"Just bloody shut-up!" Draco shouted, pointing a finger at him. "There isn't a girl yet, Potter, but I have to find a girl before the end of this year!"

"What? Why? Is it just because you're a pureblood heir and you think you have to—"

"I DO HAVE TO!" Malfoy bellowed, whipping back around to face him. "If I don't find a pureblood girl, Potter my mother isn't going to pay for my schooling anymore!"

Harry's throat suddenly felt dry. "Wait, your mother? What…"

"Who the hell do you think is paying for all of this?" Malfoy gestured angrily with his hands.

"I thought you had your own inheritance," Harry said as his anger faded.

"I do Potter, but my mother's still in charge of everything since my father's in Azkaban! Which means she'll give me my inheritance when she damn well pleases! After seeing that article that stupid reporter wrote about us, Potter, she sent me a letter saying that if I don't find a pureblood girl by the end of this year she's going to disown me!"

"Disown you?" Harry choked out. "Why would she do such a thing?"

Malfoy gave him a sarcastic glare. "Because she can. Now do you understand Potter? So now that you've gotten your precious information you can leave me alone!" he spat.

Harry opened his mouth but Draco was already leaving the room. He stood staring at the wall in silence as the door closed. Harry finally forced his legs to move and he made his way back up to his room. Now it completely made sense why Draco had been avoiding him. It just didn't seem fair that his mother was forcing him to choose a pureblood girl, whether Draco truly loved the girl or not. His mother wasn't any better than his father. And Harry wondered if she actually believed anything happened between them or not.

The next night was Friday night and Harry had stayed out of Draco's way since the previous night. At dinner time, Harry was relieved to see Lucas there sitting with Ambreen, Liam, Nicholas among others. Lucas spotted him and made room for him so he could sit next to him. Harry smiled as he sat between Lucas and Nicholas.

"Hey, how are you?"

Lucas smiled. "I'm fine, Harry. How about yourself?"

Harry's smile faltered and he shrugged. "Alright."

Lucas scooted closer, staring at him calmly. "That doesn't sound very good. Is it anything you want to talk about?"

"Er, yeah but not here," Harry said quietly.

Lucas nodded in understanding and smiled. "How about tonight? If you want to, you can meet me in my common room and we can talk then."

"That sounds great, thanks Lucas," Harry smiled. "I'll meet you there after Quidditch practice."

The other boy nodded with a smile and continued eating. Harry felt a bit better that he had someone to talk to. Lucas was someone he could trust with that sort of information and perhaps he would have some good advice. During Quidditch, Harry wasn't in such a bad mood like the days prior so he easily avoided any confrontation with Malfoy. And once it ended, he hurried up to Lucas' room without even bothering to take a shower. Of course just so he wouldn't smell like dirt and sweat he used a cleansing spell.

When Harry entered the Sapphire Common Room, Lucas was already sitting by the fire sipping some tea. Harry walked up to him and Lucas heard him so he turned around.

"Hey Harry," the other boy smiled.

"Lucas," Harry groaned, slumping down next to him. "I don't know what to do."

Pushing his black hair away from his face, Lucas stared at him seriously. "With what?"

Harry sighed and began explaining to him what happened, well most of what happened. He explained about getting feelings for Draco, about admitting it to the other boy who didn't react as desired. And about how their last kiss led to something unexpected. Harry finished by telling him about his confrontation with Malfoy earlier and then he waited for the information to digest.

"I see," Lucas said, leaning back against the armrest. "It seems that probably he has been controlled by his parents growing up. So it's natural of him to try and push you away when his mom wants him to get married."

"I know, but I can tell Malfoy's not happy. And I don't know…should I just leave it alone and let him get married?" Harry asked quietly, glancing up at him.

Lucas' deep blue eyes shimmered and then he leaned forward. "Harry, you really like him don't you?"

"Yes," Harry admitted. "But he doesn't seem to like me."

The older boy shook his head with a small smile. "I think he does. He wouldn't have gone as far as sex if he didn't. I think he's just afraid of being disowned, Harry. I think at first subconsciously he thought it was alright to keep bumping into you and let things progress slowly, but after that article it seems his mother's threat has him scared. If you truly like him, Harry, don't give up on him. Especially if you think he'll be unhappy getting married this early. The only thing holding him back, I think, is the money issue," Lucas said, cocking his head slightly.

"So, I should try to convince him not to get married? I mean…I want to, but then what will happen with his mom? If he gets disowned he'll have to leave anyway."

"Not if you can figure out a different way to get him to stay. If you could find a way to help him pay for the school then it wouldn't matter if she disowned him or not," Lucas said.

Harry's eyes widened instantly. "Of course, why didn't I think of that?"

Lucas smiled. "You have an idea then?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks so much!" Harry exclaimed, throwing his arms around the older boy. "You're really the best."

Lucas laughed lightly and placed his hands around Harry's back. "You keep saying that, but I'm sure if you were to ask anyone else for advice they'd be willing to help."

"No, there's something about you," Harry smiled. "It's more than your kindness—you're just so understanding and you actually care about other people. Even people like me who you don't really know very well. You have a big heart, Lucas. And you've been there for me ever since I met you, which wasn't too long ago but it means a lot to me."

"Really, Harry it's nothing. I like being here for people," Lucas smiled.

Harry leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I really do think of you as a best friend. I can talk to you so easily and there are very few people I can really open up to."

"I think it is very possible we'll become best friends," Lucas said, giving him another smile.

"Absolutely," Harry smiled. "Oh, I was meaning to ask you. When's your birthday?"

"Not until next April," Lucas said. "Harry, don't worry about trying to repay me. Your friendship is enough."

"Okay…well, if you ever need advice from me or just to talk you know I'll definitely be here for you," Harry said, hugging him tightly.

"I'll remember that," Lucas hugged him back. "Now why don't you go work things out with Draco."

"Yeah," Harry nodded, pulling away. "I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, right?"

"Yep," Lucas smiled.

Harry waved to him as he left the room, feeling much better. Lucas was really a perfect friend. He had never felt so close to somebody without having romantic intuitions. It was a good feeling. He entered the common room and approached Draco's room door. Inhaling nervously, Harry knocked softly. The door opened and at once Malfoy glared at him.

"Go away Po—"

"I'm not here to bother you," Harry said quickly. "I just want you to hear me out, really quickly. That's it."

Draco pursed his lips then jerked open the door. Harry stepped inside and turned as Draco closed the door.

"Hurry up," the blond said, crossing his arms.

"Okay," Harry said wringing his hands unconscious. "Er, I have a proposition for you."

The blond's eyes narrowed. "Potter, if you're trying to trick me…"

"Look, it's not a trick. I just…I have another solution to your problem, but before you say anything just hear me out," Harry pleaded.

Malfoy didn't respond but he leaned up against the wall. Harry took that as a sign that he was listening so he took a deep breath.

"Okay, I know your mom is going to disown you if you don't get married. And I know you really, really want to stay here. So…I was thinking that…well, I could pay for you while you're here."

"Potter, I am _not_ accepting charity!" Malfoy snapped.

"This isn't charity, just hear me out!" Harry exclaimed. "Mal…Draco, I already told you I liked you, right? I'm doing this because I care. All I'm asking in return is that you give us a shot, as in be my boyfriend for at least a few weeks. And even if things don't work out between us," Harry continued, making sure not to stop so the blond couldn't say anything, "I'll still pay for you.

"And then when you become a famous Quidditch player you can pay me back if we're not together. Alright? Just think of it as a friend helping you out. I am asking you to be my boyfriend, but only temporarily if you don't like it. I know you never told me you were gay or anything so if you still don't like me after a few weeks it's fine, I'm not going to hold a grudge," Harry promised.

"So, this way you won't have to be forced to find someone to marry so young. And even if your mom disowns you, you don't have to tell her you're friends with me or dating me or anything, but you'll still be able to attend this school. So…how about you just think about it for a while and let me know your answer when you're ready."

Draco stared at the floor with pursed lips and Harry calmly walked out, leaving him to his thoughts. Harry let out a deep breath as he made his way back to his common room. He felt much more relieved now that he had gotten that off his chest. He really hoped Draco agreed to it, but only time would tell. So now he just had to wait for an answer.

**XXXXXXX**

A couple weeks passed and the Quidditch match was only a couple of days away. Harry still hadn't gotten any response from Draco and though a part of him was full of anxiety, the other part of him knew he had told Draco to think about it for a while. And at least he hadn't said no as of yet. Harry hung out with Lucas and Tavis for the most part. He made sure to give Draco his space so he made sure not to stare at him or approach him.

And finally the day of the Quidditch match came and still there was no word from Draco. Harry was fiddling nervously with his broom as the team went over their plays an hour before the other school was to be arriving. Harry was trying not to breathe too rapidly, but the truth was he didn't know what to expect. Although he was excited to see Oliver Wood for the first time in years.

"Okay, everyone this is it," Captain Murdoch said, walking in front of them. "They're going to be here any minute so just take some deep breaths and do your best out there."

The referee suddenly blew his whistle the second after she finished her sentence. From above, the Muteki school's Quidditch team came flying on their brooms in sync. They all landed gracefully to the ground with their captain out in front. Oliver Wood appeared much the same, only a bit bulkier and older. He smiled and approached Mariabella, shaking her hand. It was time now.

Both teams got in order and when the referee blew his whistle again, all of them rose into the air for the start. There was no commentary like at Hogwarts although there were some students from the Scotland academy watching. Only those from the Muteki Quidditch team came from Japan to compete, not the entire school. Harry soared around the air staring at the other team's Seeker—a Japanese girl with long black hair and intense brown eyes. She was incredibly focused, waiting patiently for her turn.

The game began and just like planned Mariabella used part of one of their old strategies to confuse Wood. That way it made it look like the other school was slowly taking the lead. And once they began changing tactics, it was up to Harry to spot the snitch at the appropriate time. Draco scored a couple and nearly got hit by a bludger, but he was fast and skilled. Harry knew this already, but watching him from above made it clearer.

Suddenly, the other team's Seeker dove and Harry followed, not understanding why she was after the snitch. It took him a moment to realize she was trying to throw him off, so Harry soared away as if he had seen the actual snitch. The girl followed him as was planned just as Captain Wood called for a break. Mariabella also motioned for them to come down.

"Alright," she said, once they had all gathered. "We're close, but a little bit behind as planned. Draco, I need you to make two goals one after the other and then when they think you're going to score again, pass it to Lina."

"Right," Draco nodded.

"Harry, you know when to catch the snitch, don't you?" Mariabella turned to him.

Harry nodded wordlessly and then they were all back in the game. Draco did just as he had been told only one of the Muteki team's Chasers caught on and tried to stop him for the second goal. Draco did something unique and flipped upside on the broom as the Muteki boy zoomed past him surprised. Then he made his goal. Harry actually smiled at the victorious grin on Draco's face. Moments later the Muteki team scored a point and when Draco got the Quaffle he zoomed toward the goal and at the last second threw it to Lina, who dodged a bludger and threw it in. Now, it was all up to Harry.

His eyes scanned the field and he saw the other girl not too far away. Suddenly, he spotted it and dove but the other girl was already prepared. She dove a second after and spun one-hundred-and-eighty degrees around, causing a gust of wind that blew at the snitch and caused it to fly away. Harry lost sight of it and realized he was going to have to try and out-smart her. When the next chance came, Harry dove toward the ground as if he had seen the snitch.

The girl once again spun around in her broom after diving and catching up. But as she spun, Harry flew as fast as lightning above her and suddenly spun a three-sixty, taking on her strategy. The gust of wind blew at her with more force because Harry's broom made many more rotations thanks to its incredible speed. It caused her spin a bit and as she was distracted, Harry searched for the snitch. His eyes tried to take in the whole field at once and he saw something by Draco—a glint of gold. The girl regained her balance so Harry sent another spin at her and she dodged it then proceeded to spin again. Harry took off so fast before she even began her spin and headed straight for Draco.

Some of the Muteki team members were shouting and pointing and Draco turned just in time as Harry shot next to him and grabbed the snitch, which tried to flee. Harry held onto it tightly and he heard clapping below from Mariabella. Draco stared at him surprised and Harry gave him a smile. Then he lowered himself to the ground with everyone else. They all lined up, as the referee took back the snitch and everything else, in order to shake the other team's hands. As they passed by one another Harry smiled at the Seeker girl who gave him a small smile in return, bowing her head slightly. Harry returned the bow and moved on until he got to their captain.

"Harry," Wood grinned. "I'm so glad you made it here."

"All thanks to your recommendation I'm sure," Harry smiled in return, as others went around him. "I can't believe you ended up in Japan."

Sighing, Wood nodded. "Me either. I've been kind of traveling the world. I've stayed with them for the past couple of years but I think I might move on and see what other schools have to offer. They really are an excellent team though. As is yours," he winked, ruffling Harry's hair. "I'm glad I taught you well."

Harry laughed and moved to embrace him gently. Wood patted his back roughly and then they broke away.

"I'll hopefully see you in the Championships soon," Oliver winked, waving to him as he went back to his team.

Harry waved back and couldn't stop smiling. They all said their goodbyes (well, the Muteki students bowed and the others bowed back awkwardly) and then Harry found himself in a huge team group-hug with everyone else.

"We won our first victory!" Mariabella smiled. "You all did wonderfully out there! It seems our strategy worked, but it'll have to be different for the next school."

"How many schools are there again?" Liam asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"There are three of them we'll have to face this year. So one down, two to go," she smiled. "It's a good thing it's the weekend now. So all of you relax and intense practices will start up on Monday again. Congratulations all!"

"Yeah! Alright!" Liam grinned. "We so should have a party tonight in celebration!"

"How about in my common room?" Lina asked shyly.

"Hell yeah!" Liam exclaimed, throwing his fist into the air. "Everyone meet up in Lina's common room!"

Harry just smiled as the girls and boys split up to go into their separate chambers to get cleaned. He took a brief shower with the other boys, trying to keep his mind off the blond and then headed back to his room to change.

"Hey Harry! How was the game?" Tavis asked.

Harry looked up surprised to see Tavis and Lucas sitting in the common room playing wizard's chess.

"Good. We won, actually."

"Awesome!" Tavis grinned.

"Actually, there's a party going on in Lina's common room…er, I think that's the Opal Common Room. So, you guys want to come?"

"I'm up for it," Tavis grinned. "You Lucas?"

The other boy smiled. "Sure."

Harry smiled at them then went upstairs to change. He hoped that Draco would be coming to the party and that he'd tell him his choice. Although he was afraid the blond would say no, he realized it was driving him mad not having an answer. Lucas went back to his room to get changed and the three met up together and headed for the Opal Common Room. It was incredibly full when they got there. The room had obviously been expanded to three times its original size and still it was crowded. Everyone was excited about celebrating the victory.

Harry went with Tavis and Lucas to the drinks section. There wasn't just alcohol but regular butterbeer and hot pumpkin juice as well. Harry decided not to go with the alcohol for that night. Lucas went along with him and they both had regular butterbeers.

"Aw, come on, you guys have to party! This is a celebration! A victory!" Tavis grinned, pretending to be diplomatic about it.

Harry just shook his head in amusement. "Alright, you can get drunk for the three of us."

"Sounds good to me," Tavis laughed. "I'm going to go check out the drinking games. Come if you want to join the cult," he said, deepening his voice.

Harry watched him go and glanced at Lucas with amusement. "So, what are your plans for Christmas, even though it's still months away?"

Lucas grinned and thought about it. "Well, I know my parents want me to come home and visit. And my younger sister as well. So I'll probably go home with them. I think they're planning a trip to Hawaii, just because we've never been there."

"Sounds fun! I'd love to go out of the country and visit an exotic place like that," Harry smiled. "But I'm probably going to go over to my friend Ron's house. Everyone meets up over there for the holidays."

"That sounds nice," Lucas responded, taking a sip.

"Yeah, it is. So, tell me. Since I've been badgering you about my messed-up love-life, how's yours?"

Laughing, Lucas just shook his head. "Non-existent right now. The last girlfriend I dated was about two years ago and it was about an eight month relationship. She wanted to rush into sex, thinking that it would mean we'd be together forever, but I thought it would mean more to wait. Well, she got a little impatient, I guess and went to a party, got drunk and had sex with some other guy. She admitted it to me finally, even though I found out from one of my guy friends, who was at the party, and she sounded sincerely upset by it. But…I don't know, I just felt like she wasn't loyal enough so I broke it off."

"It sounds like you did the right thing. Even though people make mistakes, I mean…it's just unfair to you. So I understand," Harry nodded. "Is there anyone here you're interested in?"

"Not so far. I just have girls as friends here, but no sparks yet," Lucas gave a half-smile as he tilted his head.

"Oh come on, who could resist you? You're perfect," Harry smiled.

Laughing, Lucas glanced downward and then back up. "No, I'm not, Harry."

"Well fine, close to perfect. I mean you're sensitive and Hermione says most girls love a sensitive man. You're handsome, you're smart, I'm assuming," Harry grinned. "And plus you're loyal and you like loyalty. You're very caring as well and I've noticed that personally. So, what's not to like about you?"

"Well, I'm very picky when it comes to relationships. I'm a neat-freak. And kind of nerdy because I love to read and study. Also, I don't party much since I'm not a big fan of alcohol or huge crowds. I've become a little more outgoing but I'm still working on it."

"Say no more," Harry held up a hand. "You and I are like soul-mates, Lucas. I was so incredibly nerdy back at Hogwarts you wouldn't believe. Well, erm, I mean I looked nerdy but I didn't exactly enjoy studying, not like Quidditch. And I definitely know what you mean about being outgoing. My very first party, in which I drank alcohol for the first time, was here," Harry said, giving him a lopsided grin. "And I had no experience with relationships either."

Lucas smiled. "I guess we are a lot alike."

"Yes, we are. But despite flaws, Lucas, which are really mild compared to most other things, you deserve somebody great. I'd be happy to help search out a good girl for you," Harry said, giving him a sly grin.

"I wouldn't be able to guarantee anything, Harry," Lucas shrugged. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you want to help."

"Of course I want to help," Harry said, wrapping an arm around him. "You deserve somebody wonderful and I can't believe you're single."

Lucas just gave him a small chuckle. "I suppose I'm protecting myself in a way. I don't want to be hurt again. Not like that…it just, she was my first real girlfriend. I had flings back when I was younger, but she and I dated for the longest and she was the first girl I got more serious with. I just can't think about being with a girl again after she has been with another guy, while we were dating, you know?"

"That's reasonable," Harry nodded. "Is it also because you're, er, religious or something and want to save sex for marriage?"

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "No, Harry. I'm not a virgin. It's not that—it's just that once I'm attached to a person if they in any way kiss or do something with another person I just can't take it. It ruins the relationship."

"I understand, I wouldn't want that either," Harry said, shrugging. "So…er, when did you lose your virginity?"

Lucas smiled. "I think I was seventeen. Honestly, it was just curiosity more than anything. We hadn't been dating—she was a friend I had kind of grown up with. And well, she was moving, so we decided to…and that was it."

"That was it?" Harry asked.

"Yes, my first attempt at a relationship—not very good," Lucas gave a small smile. "Ever since I rushed into losing my virginity, I've held back. I haven't had sex since my first time and I was planning to eventually with my last girlfriend, but she seemed to want it so bad and I wasn't ready to give myself completely."

"You'll find someone who's patient, I know you will," Harry smiled. "Say, have you met Lina? She seems like a sweet girl."

"I have seen her around, I think."

"You should go talk to her, just get to know her. She's pretty quiet on the team, but you never know. If you can open her up, she may be somebody you could be attracted to," Harry offered. "I saw her sitting down over there."

Lucas looked and then smiled. "Alright, Harry. I guess I'll give it a shot."

"Good," Harry smiled, patting his arm. "I'll see you later."

The older boy gave him a wave and walked in the direction Harry had gestured. Walking around, Harry saw various people he knew but no Draco. Sighing, he went over to one of the couches and sat down. Taking a sip of his butterbeer, he tried to relax and have a good time. He glanced over in the place where Lucas was holding out his hand to Lina. The blonde girl was blushing and pulling at her skirt. Lucas sat down next to her on the couch and Harry couldn't help but smile.

The couch moved and Harry turned his head. His eyes widened as he saw Draco seated next to him looking ahead. Harry licked his dry lips and remained quiet, not wanting to ruin anything. The blond took a sip of his drink and kept his eyes focused ahead.

"I've thought about your offer, Potter," Draco spoke finally.

Harry swallowed and nodded, although the blond was looking at him. He couldn't speak even if he had wanted to—his heart was racing and all he could manage was to stare at the other boy.

"I've decided to agree to it," he said.

Harry's mouth dropped open and he quickly shut it. "You…really?"

Draco just shrugged and leaned back. "There haven't been very many promising girls. And as long as you mean what you said about paying for me even if things don't work out, I suppose it's a pretty good deal."

"I do mean it," Harry said quietly.

The blond finally turned to face him. "Alright, Potter. I'm only agreeing to try out being your boyfriend, understand? I don't want you telling your friends though."

"If you mean Ron and Hermione, I won't. Not unless this works out between us. But I'm not going to be sneaking around with you while we do this either, Draco. If you agree to be my boyfriend, that means hanging out with me in public and giving me a fair chance."

The blond gave him an annoyed look. "Fine. As long as Granger and the Weasel don't know."

"Deal," Harry nodded, holding out his hand.

Draco glanced at it briefly and shook it. The two sat there in silence and Harry could feel his heart hammering loudly. Draco had agreed to it. Perhaps it sounded a bit reluctant and there was no guarantee it'd work out between them, but they at least had a chance.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**DestinyEntwinements: **Hehe, yep they sure did:-)

**Gbheart: **Yay, I'm glad you liked the lemon! There will be more sexual things, don't worry.

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Well, at least it seems to have been resolved, right? There will be more yummy-ness soon!

**Skittlelove: **Hehe, finally Draco's coming around, huh? Well, Harry's not one for jealousy so going around pissing Draco off by being with other guys would most likely make the blond pull away more. But they finally have a chance now!

**Chosen-one4: **Oh yes, fear not! The two will become inseparable! MUAHAHA:-)

**DidgeDemon: **Hey, thanks so much for the compliments! My speedy updates are thanks to my short summer break I have right now. Hehe! Thank you very much again and I'm really glad you're enjoying this! I shall update shortly!

**Branwen777: **Hehehe, yes I'm sorry I can't answer all of your questions. Hopefully some of them were answered in this chapter. Yeah, I like Lucas as a character too. So you'll still see more of him. And have no fear, Draco and Harry will continue getting closer!

**Mrs-tw: **Hey, haha yeah Draco's finally coming around, right? He's just a stubborn blond! Sorry Wood didn't have a very big part. :-)

**C.Khafre: **Lol! Oh good, so the lemon did as I hoped! There will be more sexual content to come too. Oh yes! I was so upset when J.K. put Ginny and Harry together. Like that's too…easy I thought. Too predictable and plus I didn't really like her. Ah well…At least we can enjoy fanfiction, right:-)

**Pixie9: **Lol! Yeah, thankfully Draco's coming around now:-) I shall continue to update fast!

**AsDaysGoBy: **Oh good, I'm glad you're still enjoying this! Oh yes, lemons are hard to write. There will be another one in here again so I'll have to try and make it good. :-) I understand. Sometimes I write a chapter but then go through and change so many things. Writing can be hard and stressful sometimes, lol!

**Meka: **Hehe, I know Draco is frustrating. He's beginning to come around though. :-) You won't really have to worry about Ginny anymore. She's appears only once more.

**Tiger Eye2: **Don't worry, there's nothing romantic between Lucas and Harry. Haha! And Draco's finally coming around!

**The Earth Mystic: **It is very hard to read Draco, isn't it? But he's beginning to come around. And Harry will discover more about the blond soon enough! I mean, his feelings, not any dark, deadly secrets, lol! Though that would be an interesting twist. Oh, what is MP? Male Pregnancy? I don't know, that's just what came to mind. If that's what it means then no, there won't be any of that. Haha! Don't worry, Lucas is a generally nice guy, unlike Blake who had a temper he was hiding. :-)

**Saiyou-the-lover**Haha, at least Draco's beginning to come around, right? Don't worry, this is the first step to bringing them permanently together, promise! And there will be more sexual content too. And thank you so much for reviewing! I'll keep updating fast:-)

**Kayla: **Don't worry, Lucas and Harry won't get together. Trust me, I'm all for Draco/Harry:-)

**GoddessMoonLady: **Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you really like this! And I'm glad the lemon was good. It's my first time writing HP slash so I'm glad it worked out. There will be more sexual content to come, as well as another lemon. It'll come soon!

**Goddess Bless: **Haha, thanks! I'm glad you like this so far! Oh, were you referring to Veritaserum as the trick? I wasn't sure. :-)

**ItsaMiracle: **Oh good, glad you liked the lemon scene! There will be more sexual content to come:-)

**InuAce: **Haha! Well I'm glad you liked the last chapter! There will be another lemon coming up soon:-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE**Lol! Oh dear, yeah maybe reading it before school's a bad idea. That cracked me up though:-) And don't worry, there's more sexual content to come!

**HistoryGirl2005: **Yep, they had sex! And there will be another lemon coming up! You do understand Draco very well! I'm glad you see that in him. He's slowly letting his walls down. And yes, I promise to keep updating soon:-)

**Celeste Jacobs: **Oh good, I'm glad you liked it! There will be another lemon coming up! And I'll update soon!

**Lollylover: **Thanks so much!! I'm so glad you like this still! And there will be another lemon to look forward to! I shall update asap:-)

**Noroi-Inu: **Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you like this! You're so sweet! I know, Draco's such a stubborn blond, but slowly he's letting his guard down! I'm very glad to hear I'm keeping him and Harry in character though. That's always a plus! And I shall update asap!

**Realitiyisoverrated: **Thanks so much! I'm so glad you really like this! Lol! Yes, Ginny's annoying. She only appears briefly once more so you really don't have to worry about her. Aw, I'm so glad you like Lucas. Yes, he and Harry will become best friends so he will appear more often! And there will be another lemon to look forward to (between Harry/Draco of course) very shortly:-)

**D/H: **Hehe! Yeah, I never liked Ginny either. I was mad when J.K. put them together, but oh well. I'm really glad you like this. Lol! Don't worry, there's more sex to come. :-)

**Tgkur: **Lol! There were two? I guess I'm still doing good with updates. Sorry FF cut you off. Sometimes that happens. Oh yes, Draco's beginning to get that wake-up call, lol! Have no fear, he cannot run! Muahahaha!


	16. Bonding

Captivation

**Captivation**

_**Warning:**__** Sexual content in this chapter! :-)**_

**Chapter 15: Bonding**

The next day, Harry was feeling more refreshed. He went down to breakfast and saw that Draco wasn't there yet. It was still early so Harry sat next to Lucas who was already up.

"Hey," Harry smiled as he sat down.

The older boy studied him and gave him a smile. "I'm guessing things went well."

"Yep," Harry's eyes shimmered. "Well, as good as things can with Draco anyway. He agreed to let me pay for him and to try being my boyfriend, so we'll see how things go."

"That's great Harry," Lucas smiled while slinging an arm around him briefly.

"Thanks," Harry answered, giving him a one-armed hug. "So, how about you and Lina?"

Shrugging, Lucas gave him a small smile. "Well, she seems very sweet, like you said. And she's really shy, but I don't know yet."

"At least there's always a chance," Harry said, grinning. "So, are there any parties going on tonight?"

Lucas lifted an eyebrow. "I'm not sure. I'll let you know if I hear about any."

"Great," Harry nodded.

Being a Saturday, it wasn't very crowded in the dining hall until late in the morning. Harry wanted to wait up for Draco, but he figured he could see him at lunch so he went to the library to finish up some homework. By the time he finished his essay on Quidditch strategies of the 1900's, he realized lunch had just began. The weekend was much more lenient since breakfast stayed open till eleven and lunch began at noon to three. So Harry immediately got up and went to the dining hall.

Instantly, he saw Lucas who spotted him and gestured for him to come over. Glancing around the room, he noticed that Draco wasn't there anyway.

"What's up?" Harry smiled as he sat down.

"I heard about a party going on in the Bronze Common Room. It wasn't decided until late this morning, but apparently a couple of the seniors left for job opportunities and gave away their drinks."

"Cool," Harry smiled. "So, will you be going tonight?"

"Most likely," he said, glancing at him.

"Good," Harry smiled, patting his arm.

Just then, Harry spotted Draco entering the hall. "Would you excuse me?"

Lucas nodded and Harry got up and headed in the same direction as the blond. The moment Draco sat down Harry sat down next to him. Draco glanced up at him a bit surprised.

"Hey," Harry smiled.

"Can I help you?" Draco drawled.

"Draco," Harry said firmly, giving him a look. "Remember our deal about giving me a fair chance here. So can you quit the attitude?"

"Fine, what do you want Potter?" Draco asked, taking a gulp of his drink.

"Can you stop calling me that?" Harry asked exasperated. "Call me by my first name like I do for you."

Draco sighed in annoyance. "What _Harry_?"

"I just wanted to spend some time with you, sheesh," Harry grumbled. "Is it illegal to sit by you now?"

Draco rolled his eyes a bit and stared down at his plate. By the way he picked at his food Harry could tell something was bothering him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry asked gently.

"Nothing, my mother just disowned me is all," Draco muttered.

"You mean she wrote another letter?"

"No," Draco gave him a look.

Harry nodded slowly. "Oh. I'm really sorry about that, Draco. Hey, I know something that might cheer you up. There's a party tonight at the Bronze Common Room."

"It's just another party, Potter they're all the same," Draco snorted.

"Harry. And at least try to have some fun. Look, I know you're upset so I'll leave you alone right now. But at least come to the party for a little while, alright?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Draco grumbled, sticking another bite in his mouth.

Harry stared at him silently and then nodded and got up. He went back to join Lucas and the others. Lucas gave him a smile and Harry smiled back. Although Draco was still moody, Harry hoped he could get the other boy to open up more. It was understandable why he was upset though. And Harry didn't know how to comfort him or make him feel better. Hopefully, Draco would attend the party.

Later that night, Harry wore his favorite outfit (his velvet-black pants and silky forest-green blouse), hoping to talk to Draco. Lucas told him he was only going to stay for a little while since he was tired. Harry went to the party with Tavis, searching around for Draco.

"Oy Nicholas!" Tavis grinned. "Hey Harry, you wanna come play Entranced or Cursed?"

"No thanks, not tonight," Harry smiled. "You guys have fun."

"Aw, Harry, you never play anymore," Nicholas gave him a pout.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I will play again, promise. Just not tonight."

"Alright," Nicholas sighed heavily. "See ya later."

Harry waved to them as they departed and he went in search of Draco, hoping that he hadn't changed his mind. He walked toward the sitting area and sighed with relief when he spotted Draco sitting on the couch. Harry approached him quickly and was surprised when he saw that Draco wasn't drinking alcohol—just a regular butterbeer.

"Hey," Harry said, plopping down beside him.

Draco glanced at him briefly. "Hate to break it to you, but this party is like all the others," the blond quipped sarcastically.

Harry inwardly sighed, wondering how he was going to make Draco feel better. He thought about it for a couple of minutes and then an idea struck him. Scooting closer, Harry tapped his arm.

"Hey, you know since we're going to be dating for a little while anyway, I think we should tell each other some secrets," Harry said, cocking his head a bit.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what makes you think I'm going to spill any secrets to you Potter?"

Harry frowned. "Draco, it's Harry, for the umpteenth time. And it's a good chance to get to know one another. Okay, I'll go first," he added quickly.

Draco turned his attention on him and Harry was thankful that he got the blond's interest. Now he just had to think of something that would distract Draco from his negative thoughts.

"Okay," Harry said, turning to him. "You remember how I was supposedly dating Ginny and all of that?"

"Yeah, so?" Draco drawled, keeping his eyes on him.

"Well, I found out recently for sure that she just had an obsession over me this whole time. She claimed that she was 'in love' with me but really all she wanted was to strip me of my virginity," Harry said. "Oh, by the way, I hope you don't mind but a little while ago I asked Lucas to pose as my boyfriend just to prove to her that I'm gay."

"You mean with the 'drop-dead gorgeous' guy?" Draco drawled, staring at him intensely.

Harry's stomach momentarily fluttered, not from the tone of Draco's voice but from the look—almost as if he was a bit jealous. Harry felt his cheeks heat up but he shook his head quickly.

"It's not like that, Draco. Lucas is straight."

"That's a shock," the blond muttered.

"So anyway, that was the proof I got, but I never really told anyone what she did to me before. I mean, Ron knew she came on strongly but I didn't tell him what she did or tried to do really," Harry said, as Draco raised an eyebrow curiously. "She came with me into the Chamber of Secrets when I was getting some old Basilisk skin to brew a potion and the next thing I know she's on top of me—"

"Potter, this better not be something nasty," Draco interrupted.

"And she forced her tongue down my throat—"

"Potter!" Draco exclaimed, giving him a disgusted look. "I do _not_ need to hear this!"

"Wait, that's not the best part," Harry said quickly, scooting closer. "Then she forced my hand onto her breast—"

"UGH! God!" Draco exclaimed, covering his ears. "Potter, that imagery is going to traumatize me!"

Harry was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Draco's reaction was incredibly amusing and the blond gave him a slight glare for revealing that information. Finally, Harry calmed down and glanced at Draco, still smiling.

"Okay, your turn."

"I'm feeling a bit nauseous, Potter," Draco said, setting his drink down.

"It's _Harry_," he emphasized. "Get it straight or I'll traumatize you again."

Draco gave him an annoyed look. "_Potter_, if you ever tell me something like that again I'll throw-up on you."

Harry let out a laugh. "Alright, I get it. So anyway, you understand why I didn't stick with her."

"I think that any boy would turn gay after experiencing that," Draco retorted.

Harry burst into laughter again and Draco glanced at him, smirking slightly.

"Okay, now it's your turn," Harry urged.

"No," Draco said firmly.

"Aw, come on," Harry said, leaning the side of his head against the back of the couch. "Okay, I'll reveal one more thing to you, but you better not tease me."

Draco turned to him and gave a slight shrug. "I can't guarantee anything."

Harry rolled his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Alright…now, I haven't told anybody this, mind you! The first time I ever had an erection was at this school."

Both of the blond's eyebrows rose up and Harry stared at him. Suddenly, Draco burst into laughter and leaned over unable to control himself.

"Hey!" Harry hit him gently in the arm. "That's not _that_ funny! Oh come on, when was your first erection?"

Draco sat back up, still grinning in amusement. "When I was like fourteen."

"You're joking?" Harry asked, open-mouthed. "Fourteen? Wait, so did you lose your virginity kind of young?"

"I'm not discussing that with you," Draco said, taking a gulp of his drink as he leaned back against the armrest.

Harry gave him an annoyed glare. "Draco, do I have to remind you of what we did? I think talking about your past experiences isn't that big of a deal. Besides, weren't you the one who admitted to me a while ago that tons of girls at Hogwarts couldn't keep their hands off you, or something?"

Draco shrugged. Harry crossed his arms and leaned forward. "Draco? Come on, tell me. How many girls have you slept with?"

Draco just stared at him, his eyes glittering with amusement as Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Why is it important? Are you going to get jealous?" Draco drawled with a smirk.

"No…I won't get jealous," Harry shrugged. "I mean, the past is the past. As long as you're not sleeping with someone while we're dating. Or kissing them. Or flirting," Harry added.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Is there anything else?"

Harry shrugged and gave him a small smile. "Loyalty is big on my list. Will you at least tell me how old you were the first time you had sex? I told you that you were my first, the least you could do is give me something."

Draco's lips curled upward and he stared at him. "Were you saving yourself for me?"

"I wasn't thinking that while growing up, but I did choose you to be my first didn't I?" Harry said, feeling his heart beat wildly as he kept their eyes locked.

Draco stared at him silently and Harry gazed deeply into his silver-gray eyes. He wanted so badly to move forward and press their lips together, but at the same time he didn't want to startle the blond. Draco's silky-blond bangs were ghosting over the sides of his face. Harry bit his lip feeling heat spread throughout his body as their gaze never wavered.

"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Harry turned to see Lucas standing in front of them and he smiled. "No, it's okay. Lucas, have you met Draco?"

"Not personally," Lucas smiled, holding out his hand. "It's a pleasure, Draco."

The blond stared up at him and shook his hand firmly before leaning back. Draco shook his hair out of his face and leaned his elbow on the armrest. Harry knew the blond was trying to show-off his looks to the older handsome boy and Harry couldn't help but think Draco did a very good job of making himself look sexy.

"I just wanted to say goodnight," Lucas smiled.

"Oh, you're leaving?" Harry asked, standing up.

"Yes and Harry?" Lucas said, stepping closer. "It doesn't seem that Lina's really my type."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, giving him a hug. "I promise I'll let you know if I meet anyone who seems nice."

"It's alright, don't worry," Lucas smiled, shaking his head. "It was nice meeting you Draco."

Draco nodded to him silently and Lucas smiled at Harry before taking his leave. Harry sat back down next to the blond, trying to get closer but not wanting it to be obvious.

"I tried to hook him up with Lina, but I guess it didn't work out," Harry shrugged.

Draco glanced at him. "You're playing cupid now, Harry?"

Turning in surprise, Harry gave him a smile. "You called me by my first name."

The blond stared at him and snorted softly. "Don't act surprised. You were making such a big deal out of it."

"I know," Harry smiled. "I just feel bad because Lucas is such a nice guy. And he's been there for me as a good friend and I just wanted to find someone nice for him."

"You should just leave it alone," Draco said, taking another sip of his butterbeer. "He'll find a girl on his own."

Harry glanced at him even as Draco stared out ahead. Under the glow of the dim light floating above them, Harry saw that Draco looked incredibly sexy. He was trying his best not to let his thoughts stray that way since the blond had only just begun to open up. But staring at him, Harry saw that his features seemed kind and peaceful when he wasn't in a bad mood. Draco turned and glanced back at him and Harry blinked, giving him a small smile. The blond then stood up and Harry followed suit.

"Do you want to leave?"

"It's dull anyway. The seniors throw the best parties," Draco said, finishing off his bottle.

"I'll walk with you," Harry said casually.

Draco glanced at him momentarily and then began heading out, with Harry right behind him. As they got out into the hallway away from the noise, Harry noticed that he wasn't sure what to say. Walking up beside the blond, Harry accidentally brushed up against his arm and felt an immediately shiver run up his spine.

"Sorry," Harry murmured quietly.

Draco didn't say anything as they headed toward his common room. Harry's heart was still pounding even as they approached Draco's door. The blond opened it and Harry remained only in the doorway. He had the urge to kiss him, but he held back.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Draco," Harry said, glancing at him briefly. Draco stared at him and Harry quickly broke the eye contact before he gave in to the urge to kiss him.

He then made his way out and back to his own room. When he got there he slumped against the door, trying to calm his racing heart. He was glad that Draco actually opened up to him a little. Perhaps if he kept progressing like that, he could get the blond to finally talk about himself. Harry sighed as he approached his desk. He wasn't very tired at all and had wanted to remain talking with the blond a little longer. However, he didn't expect Draco to open up completely right away. It would take some time and if he was patient enough, hopefully Draco would remain with him more than a few weeks.

A knock came at his door and Harry turned, startled. He wondered if Tavis had returned from the party already. It was only eleven o'clock. Harry opened the door and stared disbelieving.

"Draco?"

The blond glanced up at him and before Harry could blink he suddenly felt his head being jerked forward. Draco crushed their lips together unexpectedly and before Harry could comprehend it was happening the blond broke away. Draco stared at him, seemingly surprised by his own reaction and then quickly turned around. Before he could take a step, however, Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the room. Draco stumbled a bit but the second the door was closed, Harry yanked him forward and crushed their lips together once again, not intending for him to leave.

Draco reacted instantly and shoved him up against the door, kissing him back fiercely. Harry groaned and wrapped his arms securely around the blond's neck as their tongues clashed intensely. Draco's hands tightly wrapped around him, pushing their bodies flushed together. Harry reached down and grabbed the hem of Draco's shirt, yanking it up quickly. Draco pulled away and lifted his shirt over his head as Harry did the same. Then Harry threw his arms back around the blond and fervently pressed their lips together as he slipped his tongue inside Draco's mouth. Their bare chests came into contact and the heat began spreading throughout Harry's body, causing him to become more aroused by the second.

"Mmm…Draco," Harry said in between kisses. "Bed…"

The two didn't relinquish their hold on one another as they both stumbled to get to the bed. Draco turned and let him fall onto it before getting on top of him. Harry grabbed the blond's pants and began hurrying to get them undone. He pulled the zipper down and tried to yank them off.

"Potter," Draco breathed heavily, breaking their kiss. "Just use your wand."

Harry panted breathlessly. "Oh, right."

Draco rolled his eyes a bit and took out his own wand from his pocket. His clothes instantly vanished and Harry did the same with his wand, before letting it drop onto the bed. Immediately, Harry wrapped a leg around Draco's waist and the blond lay completely on top of him. Their naked bodies touched and Harry gasped breathlessly before their lips came back into contact. Harry's arms wound around the blond's back and he tried to adjust his position so that Draco could enter him with ease.

"Don't forget the lubrication," Harry breathed, once they broke away for air.

"I'm not an imbecile," Draco breathed out, reaching for his wand.

Harry's breathing was shallow and his spine prickled with the familiar tingling sensation as Draco placed the tip of his wand at Harry's entrance. Murmuring something, Harry felt the cool gel inside of his passage once again and the blond dropped his wand. It rolled off the bed and fell onto the floor but neither one of them noticed.

"Here," Harry breathed heavily, trying to spread his legs as he wound them around Draco's waist.

"Raise this one higher, Potter," Draco said, breathing just as heavily as he gestured to his right leg.

Harry was too aroused to correct him and raised his right leg up higher to wrap around the middle of Draco's back as his left leg remained wound around the blond's waist. Draco shifted a bit between his legs and then began to lie down upon him. Harry gasped loudly as his neck tilted back. As Draco began lowering himself onto him, he began entering him swiftly and Harry's hips arched off the bed as he did so. He leaned his neck back and closed his eyes, groaning softly. The blond groaned deeply and suddenly thrust his hips forward.

Harry's leg muscles clenched as he kept them around the blond and he groaned as Draco came out a bit and thrust back in. Their pace was quicker than the first time and Harry was finding it even more intense. His breathing was labored and his fingers dug into Draco's back as they trailed downward. Draco groaned and rolled his hips forward, causing Harry to grunt with pleasure at each thrust. Harry's fingers reached Draco's hip and he could feel the blond's back muscles moving with each thrust.

Draco's mouth was by his ear sending pants and groans into it and Harry kept his eyes shut as his body quivered as the waves of pleasure washed over him. The bed was rocking a bit from the force of their movements and Harry even began moving his hips with each thrust. Harry's groans became louder as Draco continued thrusting in deeply in sync with him moving his hips. The blond only shifted once a little while later, allowing for a slightly different angle that actually caused his vision to go a little blurry. Harry gasped and grunted as he found his release some time later. The blond followed shortly afterward and Harry moved his hips slowly until Draco's orgasm stopped entirely.

Harry's whole body was covered in perspiration and he was trying to calm his breathing and erratic heartbeat. Draco pulled out seconds later and dropped onto the bed, letting out a heavy breath. Harry, although still dazed, managed to shakily get up. He reached for his wand, which had gotten caught by the edge of the bed near the pillow, and waved it around them to clean them up.

Harry also waved the spell over Draco, who groaned tiredly as it cleaned him. Then he began sliding under the covers and yanked them from under Draco's lax body to cover the both of them. Smiling sleepily, Harry yawned as he scooted closer to the blond, feeling the other boy's body heat radiating onto him. Although he didn't wrap his arms around Draco, it felt good enough just being that close.

**XXXXX**

When the rays of sunlight cascaded down upon him, waking him from his sleep, Harry noticed that he felt extremely relaxed and content. As his bleary mind caught up with him, he remembered instantly what had occurred during the night and he smiled, rubbing at his eyes. He turned his head to see Draco's back to him. The blond was still sleeping and his back was uncovered. The sunlight shone down upon part of his fair skin and Harry noticed just how beautiful and flawless his skin appeared.

He rolled over and grabbed his wand, putting it to his mouth to get rid of his morning breath. Then he found out the time was almost nine in the morning. Although it was still a bit early, Harry didn't want to spend it sleeping any longer. Harry scooted closer to Draco's body and gently placed his fingers along his back. The blond didn't move and Harry trailed his fingertips along the warmth of his back all the way to his shoulder. Then Harry scooted closer until he could lean his head over Draco's and touched the blond's shoulder firmly.

He decided he'd just rest closely to the blond until he woke up. Staring down at him while he was asleep, Harry marveled at how attractive he was. His long bangs had spilled across his forehead and he was breathing slowly. Bending down, Harry pressed his lips to the back of Draco's shoulder. His skin was warm and soft. Harry closed his eyes and pressed his cheek against the blond's shoulder, amazed at how strongly he was feeling for Draco. It was amazing how they had hated each other growing up and how they even disliked each other a little while ago. Then everything changed—Harry wasn't sure how quickly or slowly but it was thanks to the school that he was able to get to know him better.

Draco breathed in deeply and began to turn. Harry opened his eyes and stared down at him, watching as the blond gently moved a hand up over his face to push his bangs back. Then he turned his body over and brushed against Harry's chest. His eyebrows furrowed and slowly his eyes opened.

"Morning," Harry said, bending down toward the other boy's lips.

"Potter," Draco stopped him, turning his head away. "I'm not kissing you when you have morning breath."

Harry rolled his eyes though the blond wasn't looking. "I'm not an idiot, Draco. I freshened my breath."

"I'm not kissing you when _I_ have morning breath then," Draco grumbled, turning back over and closing his eyes.

Harry reached behind him for his wand and bent over the blond. He tapped Draco's chin with it and the blond's eyebrows furrowed angrily.

"Potter—"

"Open up," Harry said.

The blond's eyes groggily opened and as he turned, Harry managed to slip the tip of his wand into his mouth, freshening his breath. Harry then bent down and pressed their lips together.

"There," Harry smiled. "You're really not a morning person, are you?"

Draco snorted softly and rolled over. "No normal person is, Potter."

"Harry," he sighed. "Harry, Harry, Harry. How many times do I have to remind you?"

"I'm used to calling you Potter," Draco said as he kept his eyes closed.

"It sounds too impersonal," Harry complained, giving a snort. "Now come on. I promise not to wake you up this early again if you call me that."

Draco opened his eyes and stared up at him in annoyance. "You better not wake me up this early period."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Okay, well since you're up, you want to go down for some breakfast?"

Draco snorted and began to get up so Harry gave him some space. He slid off the bed and began getting dressed, watching as the blond got up as well. Draco lazily waved his wand over his nude body and clothes appeared. Harry just smiled and shook his head. He was fine with getting dressed normally; he didn't want to become too dependent on magic. As Harry slipped on the rest of his clothing, Draco stretched his arms and his back as he got up. Harry went over to his desk to put some of his magical gel in his hair then used a magical comb (which was charmed to comb hair really well as it made it shiny).

"Here," Harry said, tossing the blond the comb.

Draco caught it and wordlessly began to comb back his bangs. Harry watched as the blond strands went back away from his face then slid back down around the sides of his face. Harry inwardly smiled and adjusted his shirt.

"You ready?"

Draco just shrugged and tossed him the comb. Harry placed it back on the desk and the two headed for the door.

"Hey, I was thinking," Harry said as they opened the door and stepped out. "Maybe later today we should…"

Harry trailed off, stopping in his tracks just behind Draco as his eyes caught sight of Tavis. The boy was still in his pajamas and had been apparently heading towards Harry's room. Tavis was staring at them with raised eyebrows and suddenly his lips curled into a wide grin.

"What have you two been up to?" he teased, giving them a sly grin.

"Er, playing cards," Harry said, glancing at Draco who returned the look.

"Uh huh, must've been some card game," Tavis winked.

"If you even think about spreading this around you're going to find my fist in your mouth," Draco warned as his eyes narrowed.

"Hey now, don't get hostile," Tavis grinned, holding up his hands. "I won't say a word."

Harry saw the mischievous glint in Tavis' eye almost instantly and he opened his mouth, but Tavis suddenly dashed out of the common room into the hallway.

"HARRY AND DRACO ARE AN ITEM!" He screamed.

"Goddamnit! YOU ARE A DEAD MAN TAVIS!" Draco shouted, rushing after him.

"What? Harry and Draco?" a sleepy voice repeated.

Harry turned and groaned when he saw Ambreen walking down the steps from her room with a glass. Her hair was a bit disheveled and she glanced over at him.

"You are Draco are together?"

Harry sighed heavily. "Well, now that the whole school's going to know soon enough I suppose there's no reason to hide it."

Ambreen grinned and approached him. "That's so great, Harry. You and Draco make a hot couple."

He felt his cheeks heat up as he walked toward her. "Er, thanks."

"So that article was true then?" Ambreen asked.

Harry shrugged as he stopped in front of her. "Not all of it, really. Rita Skeeter just likes to exaggerate."

"Yeah, so I'm surprised that it was based on truth," she grinned, tilting her head. "Well, that's shocking. I mean, I know you told me you were gay but I didn't actually imagine you with Draco. I heard that you and Blake had been together and then someone said you were with Lucas."

"What? Lucas?" Harry laughed and shook his head. "No, he and I are just friends. Besides, he's straight."

"Is he?" Ambreen perked up. "He is extremely hot, but…well, I have a boyfriend for right now."

"Really, who?"

"Tavis again. We're giving it another shot," she said, letting a small smile show. "He spent the night in my room. I remember him saying something about going to ask you to borrow a comb, since mine is charmed to make hair glittery and next thing I know I hear him screaming about you two."

Harry smiled in return. "Er, yeah. I think Draco's going to kill him, but that's good you two are giving it another try. It might work out the second time."

"We'll see," she winked. "If it doesn't, I've got my eyes on Lucas. Especially if Draco manages to kill him," she laughed. "I'll see you later, Harry."

"See you," Harry smiled, watching as the other girl disappeared upstairs probably to get changed.

Sighing in contentment, Harry sat down in a chair and summoned a cup of tea. He really didn't mind if the whole school knew about them. He was just happy things seemed to finally be working out between them.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Goddess Bless: **Ohh, lol! The gay lover thing? Hahaha! That's great! I'm glad to know it really works. :-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Aww, thank you! I'm really glad you think this is one of the best so far. I guess it's because Draco's finally coming around, right?

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Hahaha! I'm glad you liked it! And the yummy-ness. There's still more of that to come!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Hehehehe! Good, I'm glad you liked that chapter! Now they finally have a chance, right?

**C.Khafre: **Yay! I'm glad you liked this! Haha, I know Draco was acting like such a stubborn-blond again. OOO! Chocolate truffles?! I'm off writing now! :-)

**ItsaMiracle**: Hehehe! Well, Draco's not so much of an ass anymore. Or, he's getting there anyway.

**Rita In Wonderland: **Thank you! I'm glad you like this fic so far! And I'm very glad you gave it a chance even though it didn't look appealing. Perhaps it was the prologue because it had some mild Ginny/reluctant Harry in it. Oh, your English is fine, don't worry! :-) Lol! Oh yes, don't worry more games and more sexual things will come! Hehe!

**Skittlelove: **Tehehehee! I don't want to ruin the surprise, but seriously you and I think a lot alike! That's all I'm going to say. Oliver Wood won't really appear again, sorry. He's not an important character to the story. There's a small chance Harry might see or hear from him again, but I'm not positive yet. Aw, thanks for that about my updating, lol! I shan't disappoint!

**RealityisOverrated: **Oh my gosh! I feel like my readers are psychic now! Lol! I mean about…er…well, I don't want to ruin it for you. So I'll just say you are thinking just like me! I already have that planned out! Tehehehe! Oh yay! I'm glad you're still reviewing. That must mean you like this! :-)

**Meka: **Lol! Oh, I think Draco's quite sure he likes Harry now. He's still a bit stubborn, but he's really making progress, right? :-)

**Pixie9: **Hehehe, yeah evil mothers! Lol! Oh no, I understand but thanks for the kiss anyway! :-)

**Branwen777: **Hehehe! I know, I've gotten that feeling a lot while reading stories—the desire to skip to the good parts. But I found it is more satisfying as a whole. Lol! I shall update soon again!

**GoddessMoonLady: **Haha! Yay, I'm glad you liked the Quidditch game! Yes, it would be amusing if Harry's friends met the ones at the Quidditch school. Actually…well, I'm not going to ruin it for you, but it does sort of happen…in a way…you'll see. :-)

**Saiyou-the-lover: **Hey! Haha, I'm glad you liked being mentioned. This way, it's really easy to answer anyone's questions or thank them for comments. Hehe! I'll update shortly!

**Kayla: **Don't worry, Draco won't get married (as if that's not obvious already, lol!). And yes, Lucas is straight so you won't have to worry about him coming between Harry and Draco. Oh yes, there will be more sexual content and yummy-ness to come!

**The Earth Mystic: **Yep, Lucas is straight! Lol! And now Draco and Harry are getting much closer, right? Oh yes, you'll find out about the letter Draco's mom wrote come next chapter (I believe)! I'll get started writing it tonight! :-)

**VeriAequeRedem: **Glad you liked it! :-)

**Miz-iLUVsasuke: **Thanks! I'm glad you like this so far! I'm sorry, there won't be Draco's P.O.V. but the more he and Harry get closer, the more Harry will figure him out. And Draco will open up more too, so you'll get to see how he feels through Harry's eyes. Thanks so much for that compliment! You're so nice! :-)

**Gbheart: **Oh good, I'm glad you like the tension! And now they are, kind of, together and trust me they'll get closer! :-)

**Lollylover: **Hehehe, yep, they're together! Well, sort of. Or, well…they're closer now, even though Draco's still a bit stubborn. He'll get better! :-)

**Tgkur: **Hehehe! Yes, them dating will be an interesting experience, won't it?


	17. A Dilemma

**Captivation**

_**Author's Apology: **Hey! I'm sorry for some of you who noticed that your names weren't under the TO REVIEWERS section! I fixed that problem! For some reason, FF sometimes doesn't show me ALL the reviews when you recently post them so I have to wait a little while for them all to show up. SORRY! Your names are down there in the last chapter now! _

**_Pre-Warning: Sexual content next chapter. :-)_**

**Chapter 16: A Dilemma**

The next couple of weeks passed by fast, but Harry enjoyed them. Although he and Draco hadn't had sex again, the blond had slowly begun to open up. A couple times they met up at parties and Harry had gotten into the habit of kissing him when they said goodbye for the night. Draco didn't seem to mind it, but Harry still wasn't positive if the blond wanted to stay his boyfriend. He had wanted to spend the night with Draco again, but was too afraid to initiate it, despite the fact that they had had sex again. Harry took that as a sign Draco was alright with them being together, but because the blond had been the one to initiate it the last time Harry decided to let him make the next move.

Unfortunately, even as Draco began to open up, homework began to pile up. Harry suggested they study together a couple times. However, it ended up _just_ being a study date. There had been no kissing or anything because Draco had really seemed stressed over doing well in all his classes. That was another reason why Harry hadn't tried to initiate anything. The blond had been in a bad mood for the past week spending most of his time studying. So Harry had proceeded to act like a friend rather than a boyfriend, but he was concerned that if he started pulling away now that Draco would close back up.

Rumors had gone around about them. Some people confronted him (and Draco as well) about it. Harry just shrugged it off, telling them they were dating and Draco appeared to ignore everyone. And if things couldn't get worse, their next Quidditch match was in two weeks. So Draco was super-stressed and Harry wanted to find a way to comfort him, without having to pull away.

That Friday night Harry went looking for him and per usual found him in the library. There were several books strewn about and Draco was scribbling on a piece of parchment, glancing occasionally through pages of the book next to him. Harry gently sat down and Draco glanced up momentarily.

"I'm busy Potter," he said quickly, looking back down.

Harry inwardly sighed. So it was back to Potter all over again. It seemed that whenever stress came, the blond would hide back in his shell. But Harry didn't want him to close up even with the stress. He wanted to help Draco find some way to cope with it without having to act coldly on the outside.

"What are you working on?" Harry asked.

"I'm taking notes for my strategies class, Potter," Draco said hotly. "And if you're not going to be quiet then you should leave."

"Look, it's just that you've been studying for that test for a few days straight now, right?"

Draco dropped his quill and sent him a glare. "What's your point?"

"Well I'm sure you know most of what you need to," Harry said gently. "It's just that because of the stress you think you need to keep cramming, but honestly it's better to just give your brain a rest just for a little bit."

"That's nice, Potter. But I'm not going to go off playing when I have work to do," he drawled, glancing back down.

Harry leaned forward. "It's not play, promise. It's just a different kind of work," he began as Draco glanced up at him. "Since we have an important Quidditch match coming up against another tough school, how about you and I go practice outside?"

"Right now, Potter? At ten o'clock?" Draco asked.

"Yes right now. No body's out there and Tavis told me where they keep the snitch and quaffle and everything so we can play. Also, I know a great charm that I used to use when playing one-on-one with Ron that can create illusions of other players. This way, you'll just be taking a break from cramming and practicing on Quidditch so you'll be prepared for the match. Then, if it makes you feel better, since your test isn't until Monday, this weekend I can quiz you," Harry smiled, tilting his head. "What do you say?"

Pursing his lips, Draco tapped his quill on the table then shrugged. "Fine, Potter. I'll take up your offer. Let's go."

Harry inwardly felt excitement grow in his stomach as Draco began packing up his books. He then followed the blond toward the Quidditch chambers.

"So how come you're not studying?" Draco drawled, glancing at him with some amount of suspicion.

"Actually, we were going to have a test on Monday too, but it was canceled due to the fact that we have essays due that day. And I've already finished most of it. I just have to touch it up a bit and I have the whole weekend to do that," Harry shrugged, giving him a lop-sided grin.

"Well that's great for you," Draco quipped sarcastically.

Harry just smiled at him as they got onto the field. They dragged the chest that contained the Quidditch supplies and decided it wasn't best to use the bludgers. Using a charm, Harry created transparent illusions of people to play against.

"You ready?" Harry called up to him as they flew up high on their brooms.

"Come on, Potter," Draco said, gripping his broom tightly.

Harry released the snitch and the quaffle and the players immediately began swooping at them, as if they were in a real game. They started playing and at first it was all concentration, but then Harry decided to try doing loops and turns and at one point he did a three-sixty around Draco, who gave him a slightly annoyed look.

"You want to give it a try?" Harry asked, gesturing to his broom.

Draco glanced at it then shrugged. Harry flew up next to him and the two carefully switched brooms mid-air. Draco took off at once and Harry watched him go, smiling at the grin on the blond's face. It made him feel so happy to see him like that. Then Harry joined him and they began practicing, as well as doing a few tricks here and there. They managed to play for a couple hours before they became tired. Harry realized he had actually gotten a little better at seeing the snitch, especially since the dim light caused by spells didn't help a lot in the dark.

After they got the quaffle and snitch back inside the chest, they headed toward the showers. Harry was sweating but he was content. He glanced over his shoulder at Draco, watching as the blond shook his hair out under the water. His eyes were closed and Harry smiled, moving out from under his own shower head to approach him. Harry unexpectedly wrapped his arms around him from beyond and Draco turned in his grasp.

Harry smiled through his wet hair that stuck to his forehead and around his face. Then he pressed his lips to Draco's jaw and the blond didn't move. Harry could hear him breathing normally and he didn't wriggle from his grasp, which was a good sign. Harry moved his lips up the side of Draco's face and at the same time let his fingers trail across the blond's bare chest and abdomen. With the water cascading down upon them, the skin felt smoother.

Slowly, he felt Draco move and Harry released him, allowing him to turn around. Then Harry wrapped both arms around the blond's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Their wet lips met beneath the shower and Harry felt goosebumps rise on his skin. Draco moved until Harry's back was up against the wall. Harry instantly wrapped a leg around Draco's waist and the two began kissing again. The blond just needed to get more aroused to be able to enter him and Harry was already beginning to get an erection.

Voices nearby caused Harry's head to jerk in the direction and Draco pulled away. Harry's leg slipped from his waist and he unwound his arms from Draco's neck.

"So, when do you want me to test you?" Harry asked, glancing at him as he distanced himself.

Draco shrugged. "Whenever," he said, raking his hands through his wet hair as he went back under the water.

"How about tomorrow morning after breakfast?" Harry suggested.

Draco still had his eyes shut as he began washing his hair. "Fine," he answered.

Harry nodded to him and turned off his faucet as a couple guys entered. He nodded to them and grabbed his towel feeling thankful that they hadn't come any later otherwise it would've been embarrassing. Harry knew he really, _really_ liked the boy—Draco was someone he trusted intimately. A part of him was worried that maybe Draco was still with him just because he was paying his share or even just for the sex or possibly both. He wanted to confront Draco about it—to know if he was worrying over nothing or not—but he was certain the blond would get defensive. And if Harry made him mad, Draco would probably pull back anyway.

Taking in a deep breath, Harry furrowed his eyebrows. No way was he going to let the blond pull away. No, Draco had to get it through his head that they were together and that he seemed to be enjoying it enough. And Harry didn't want to just sleep together every now and then or study once in a while, he wanted to actually date him—have an actual relationship. Hurriedly, Harry ran up to his room before Draco even got out of the shower and grabbed his invisibility cloak. He had taken it with him just out of habit, not really intending to use it, but now was a perfect opportunity. Harry then snuck into Draco's common room while wearing it and hid in the corner, waiting for him.

He didn't have to wait long. Draco came into the room moments later all dressed but still with wet hair. Harry tip-toed behind him and waited as the blond tapped his wand on his door. As it opened, Harry hurried behind him, waving his wand to keep it open a little longer. He slipped inside as Draco closed the door without looking. Harry carefully pulled off his cloak and leaned up against the door making a sound. Draco wheeled around and stared at him, looking surprised then annoyed.

"How did you get in my room?"

"I followed you in," Harry smiled, setting his cloak down.

Draco eyed it and snorted. "I see. Still up to your old tricks from Ho—Mmfgh!"

Harry had rapidly approached him and covered his mouth. The blond grabbed his wrist roughly but Harry pushed him backward onto the bed and proceeded to pin him down. Draco managed to toss his head so Harry's hand slipped from his mouth.

"Potter! I am not in the mood for sex right now so—"

"This is not about sex!" Harry exclaimed, roughly grabbed both his wrists and slowly pinning them down above his head. "Listen to me, Draco. I know you've been in a bad mood all week because of your exam, but stop pulling away! Look…I know it's been awkward making the transition from rivals to…well, more than friends. I mean, we sort of were like friends while becoming boyfriends, but…the point I'm trying to make is that I don't want our relationship based on sex. But I also…," Harry trailed off, staring down at him as Draco gazed back with furrowed eyebrows. "I also don't want you to be with me just because I'm paying for you."

"Potter—"

"Hear me out," Harry said firmly. "I want us to seriously date, Draco. So far, we've hung out only a couple times but the other couple of times have been completely sexual. Only once did you stay overnight afterward and I just…I want to make sure this is real. So, I was also wondering," Harry said, releasing his grip on Draco's wrists, "if you'd like to join me over Christmas break."

"Don't you hang out with your friends over Christmas, Potter?" Draco asked, giving him a passive look.

Harry mentally slapped himself. "Darn…I forgot. Still, I'll work something out, promise. And since…well, since you, erm…are, you know, I mean, do you have anywhere else to go over Christmas?"

Draco pursed his lips and Harry was afraid he had upset him again, but the blond just snorted.

"No, Potter I don't, but I'm not under any circumstances going to the Weasel's house."

"I said I would work something out so I'm not asking you to. I just want to spend more quality time with you over the holidays," Harry said, slipping off of him. "Draco, I don't know if you noticed this but you're not an easy person to get close to."

"For a good reason, Potter," Draco said, lifting himself up.

"I understand that, to a certain degree. But you don't have to get so cold towards me. I'm only trying to be nice to you," Harry said sincerely.

Draco snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Is this why you snuck behind me? To lecture me?"

"It's not a lecture, Draco. I'm trying to understand you," Harry said, as the blond kept his gaze elsewhere. "Look at me."

Inhaling in annoyance, Draco turned to stare at him. Harry scooted closer to him and kept their eyes locked.

"Do you want to date me seriously?" Harry asked quietly.

Draco rose up a bit. "And what exactly does that entail?"

"It means like going on real dates. You know, hanging out and spending quality time together. Of course intimacy is a part of it, but I don't want it to be the sole reason we're together. Nor the money issue. Remember you can always pay me back later, but I don't want you to pretend to like me because of it," Harry said, chewing on his lower lip. "Alright?"

Snorting, Draco slid off the bed. "Potter, do you really think I'd go as far as sex with you if it was just for the money?"

Harry's eyes brightened. "Er, no I guess not. So, would you want to spend Christmas with me?"

"We'll see," Draco said. "It's a little early to be deciding that now, you know."

"Yeah," Harry shrugged. "Hey, would you mind if I saw the letter your mom wrote you?"

Watching the blond halt, Harry held in his breath as he turned around. Draco didn't look angry, but he wasn't happy either. Wordlessly, the blond walked over to his desk, yanked open one of the drawers and pulled out a piece of parchment. Walking over to him, he tossed it to him and Harry caught it.

_Draco,_

_I saw the preposterous Daily Prophet article! Somebody should have that woman fired. I was actually hoping that I'd hear word about a girl in your life sometime soon. You know your father is still counting on you marrying. And since he is no longer here that leaves me in charge of everything. Do you know how stressful it is overlooking the finances including your inheritance? Well, I could make things much easier by taking away your inheritance and combining it with my own vault, you know. And I will, Draco, if you don't find someone to marry soon. I was going to give you till graduation from that Quidditch school, but now that I see you're probably taking for granted your status and duty, I've decided to give you to the end of this year to find a pureblood! It shouldn't be too hard. There has to be at least one pureblooded girl there. Just find one and do what you have to in order for her to become interested in our family. _

_You know how important this is for your father and I. Now, he is working on getting himself House Arrest for a few years instead of a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. And because of this, he may need to spend a lot of money bribing, which is another reason why you shouldn't take your inheritance for granted because it seems that it would be much more useful for your father. So stop wasting precious time, son! _

_I don't know if Potter is there or not, but if he is and you're somehow interacting with him, stop it immediately! You can pass insults now and again but otherwise completely stay away from that boy! You know that he is our worst enemy, Draco! He destroyed our liege and put your father where he is! So whether or not you're friends (which, if you value your name and inheritance that better not be true) make sure to stay clear of him! And hurry up and find that girl by the end of this year or I'll disown you, which means no inheritance! And don't think I won't Little Dragon, you bet I will! And I won't leave you a thing! I better hear a reply from you within the next couple of weeks. And there better be news about you having found a girl, or news about you searching for one! Write back within the next fourteen days, son or say goodbye to your family name and inheritance!_

_N.M._

Harry stared at the letter disbelieving. Not only did she not sound very loving, but she signed her name with initials. No 'love mom' or anything. And she seemed very serious about leaving him nothing, which was a clever way to try and force him to do as she pleased.

"She's cruel," Harry said, dropping the letter on the bed angrily. "I think it's for the best that you break away from her. She's been controlling you ever since you were little. And it's your life to live."

"That's easy to say, Potter, but you can't pay for me forever," Draco said darkly. "I need that inheritance."

"Draco," Harry said, scooting up to the edge of the bed, "you don't need it, alright? You'll make your own money. If you give in now you'll be forced to choose someone you may not even love just for your mother's sake. Then you'll never be rid of her."

Draco just crossed his arms and stared at the letter, which still lay idly on the bed. Harry glanced down at it then stood up.

"I understand why you tried to pull away from me before anything more started. She's making a very cruel threat," Harry said as Draco remained silently staring away. "But you have a chance to get away from that—to make your own decisions and live life how you want to. Think about it. If you were to marry some pureblood girl and brought her home, there's no guarantee that your mom would even give you the inheritance right away. Or she could make up some crap about giving you part of it and waiting until you have kids to give you the rest," Harry said as Draco glanced at him.

"And what the hell is the point in waiting your whole life for that bulk of money when you could be out there as a famous Quidditch player, away from your mom's scrutiny and criticism, making your own fortune. It would take a hell of a lot less time for you to earn as much as that inheritance if you became famous. And you know that your mom probably will want you to follow in your father's footsteps once you get married. She'll probably force you to break away from Quidditch the second you bring home that girl. Besides, you're happier with Quidditch. So…just think about it," Harry said stepping back.

"Let me continue to pay for you and let me know if you want to date seriously—as in go out in public like to dinner and just hang out together alongside everything else we've been doing. You have plenty of time to think about the Christmas thing, but for tonight will you just let me stay here with you? No sex, just sleeping here with you."

Draco was silent with a contemplative look. Harry knew he was asking a lot. He was asking him to give up his family entirely (since he obviously could never tell his parents he was dating the famous Harry Potter), to date him seriously which meant an emotional relationship alongside the physical and to spend time with him over a holiday normally meant for family. Finally, the blond uncrossed his arms.

"Fine," he said. "I'm too tired to argue with you anyway."

Harry just smiled and scooted to the far left of the bed as Draco approached. The blond slipped into the bed on the right side and Harry lay down under the covers. The light was extinguished and he blinked, trying to get used to the dark. Turning his head, Harry saw Draco's outline with his back facing him. Shifting a bit closer, Harry watched the back of his outline and inwardly smiled. Draco had given in much faster this time around, which meant Harry was finally getting through to him.

Hopefully in the near future the blond would agree to date him seriously—then they'd officially be together. Once Draco agreed to go out with him in public, it would be a sign that the blond would not be bothered by his reputation or his parents any longer. Also, it would hopefully mean that Draco really did have strong feelings for him. He did want to spend time with Draco over Christmas, but the blond had reminded him that normally he was to meet over at Ron's house. How was he going to achieve both? He'd have to find a solution soon. Yawning, Harry closed his eyes and let sleep take over.

When Harry awoke the next morning, he rolled over to see that he was the only one there. Sitting up quickly, he looked at the spot where Draco was supposed to be and sighed heavily. Grabbing his wand, he discovered it was already ten in the morning. So, he had slept in and Draco didn't wait for him. The blond probably went to the library to study. Although Draco was very slowly opening up, Harry knew he had asked a lot of the blond the night before. It would take time for Draco to completely accept being disowned (if he agreed to stay Harry's boyfriend) and it would take time for his stubborn personality to accept them being a couple (and not just a fling). It had been hard enough to admit his feelings to Draco, but he couldn't imagine how hard it was for the blond to deal with his own emotions.

He decided the best option was to not pressure Draco into giving him an answer anytime soon. Hopefully by the time Christmas came, the blond would tell him whether or not he wanted to stay with him (and hopefully they could spend time together). Harry pursed his lips and suddenly had an idea. He got out of bed and crept quietly out of Draco's room, thankful that no body seemed to be around. Then he slipped out into the hallway and headed for the Owlry. When he got there, he grabbed a piece of parchment (since there was a stack on the desk behind all the bird perches) and summoned his quill.

_Ron,_

_Hey! I hope you're doing well. Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I was thinking about this Christmas and I'm not sure I can make it with you. I mean, of course I'll try—as in I could probably come Christmas Eve, but I wouldn't be able to sleep over. See, I want to spend Christmas with my boyfriend and I know you might be upset by it, but it's really important to me. So I hope you understand. Please tell your family I'm really sorry for any inconvenience and that I will visit on Christmas Eve. Thanks. _

_Your friend,_

_Harry_

Harry then stuffed it in an envelope and gave it to Hedwig, who hooted loudly before taking off. Then he headed straight to the library, not bothering to pick up breakfast since he wasn't that hungry anyway. Draco was there just like he predicted. Clearing his throat as he came closer, the blond then looked up.

"Hey, you want me to quiz you?" Harry asked, taking a seat next to him.

Draco glanced at him briefly before sliding papers over to him. "Don't start with the first chapter. Mix it up a little."

Harry nodded and flipped to chapter three to begin quizzing him. He was surprised the blond hadn't put up any resistance. However, he still wasn't sure if Draco wanted to date him seriously but he just put any doubts to the back of his mind. For a couple hours Harry stayed there with him, testing his memory and found that the blond knew pretty much everything. Finally, right before lunch time Draco decided he had had enough.

"You're doing great," Harry encouraged him as they made their way to lunch.

Draco wasn't complaining about them walking to lunch either so Harry wanted to keep their conversation on a light, non-controversial topic. As they sat down for lunch and began eating, Harry managed a glance at the blond. He was eating calmly and didn't appear to be in his usual bad mood. Taking that as a good sign, Harry decided not to say anything. He wondered if Draco was thinking at all about what Harry asked him the other night.

"Hey Draco, do you know anything about the other team we have to play against next?"

The blond glanced up at him and shrugged. "Not really, only that they're probably better than the Japanese team."

"I see, so if we beat the next two schools then there's going to be a party Christmas Eve, right?"

"That's only if we manage to schedule the matches in by that time," Draco answered, glancing at him. "The captain said it could change depending on if the other schools change the match date."

"Oh, right," Harry said.

He had to admit, it was hard keeping up a conversation with the blond, but Harry wanted them to be a couple. He didn't want their attraction to be just physical. He wanted Draco to trust him and care about him and feel like they could talk like friends. Just thinking about that made Harry wonder if part of Draco's demeanor was because he had never really had a true friend before.

"So, if you were to get invited to a professional team after this school," Harry began, continuing their conversation as Draco took a bite then gazed at him, "which team would you want to be on?"

Draco snorted. "That's easy—the German team, the Heidleberg Harriers, is undefeated at this point. Either them or the Quiberon Quafflepunchers from France. They've been catching up pretty close to the German team. So who knows if this year's championship will go to Germany again or not."

"Yeah, I heard about them briefly," Harry nodded. "They sound good. But what about the Braga Broomfleet team from Portugal? Didn't _The Quibbler_ say once that they were one of the best teams in the world due to their beater-strategy or something?"

"Yes, but you have to keep in mind that while they're doing very well and they've got a good name, they still haven't gotten into the championships, at least not recently. If they do this year or soon, then maybe I'll consider them an option," Draco explained, taking a sip of his drink. "It's more than just winning matches, if you understand how Quidditch works. You see, Potter, this is why the Seeker position is so valuable—it's why I wanted it so bad at Hogwarts," Draco said, turning to him. "The way Quidditch is played is that each goal is worth ten points, right?"

"Right," Harry nodded, listening intently.

"Well if you think about it, the game ends when the Seeker catches the snitch, right? And it earns the team 150 points which is equivalent to fifteen goals with the Quaffle. And the other team can't counter it so it's basically whosever Seeker catches the snitch first wins the game entirely. So, really the Chasers and Beaters are only there for show, to be blunt. I mean the game's so popular because of the violence and the neat tricks they pull when playing. But it all comes down to the two Seekers. Of course if the other team miraculously gets so many goals and their opponents don't then it'd be fair if the opponent gets the snitch, but otherwise it's practically just a game between the Seekers."

Harry found that they were having a normal conversation—no snide comments, no sarcasm, no mood swings. They were just talking like friends and now Harry understood why the Seeker position was so important to Draco.

"That's true, Draco, the Seekers are probably the most important players on the team, but they're not the only ones that people come to watch. There are plenty of famous Chasers and Beaters," Harry responded. "But…I guess I understand why you got upset when I got the Seeker position; now it makes sense."

Draco just stared at him indifferently. "It doesn't matter now. Even if I get a lousy Beater position, which would be worse than being a Chaser to me, as long as I get a job with a good profession Quidditch team after this school, I'll be satisfied. For a while anyway. Of course I want to move up as high as I can."

Harry smiled. "Of course."

Draco continued talking about how it would be if he was on the Germany team and Harry listened, finding him that much more attractive when he was talking normally. He had the urge to ask Draco again if he could sleep in his room, but he knew that seemed like a bit much. After all, just because they were dating didn't mean that they couldn't sleep in separate rooms (except after sex). Plus, he didn't want to push his luck. Draco needed his own space and some more time to think so Harry was content just to hang out with him during the day.

However, the next morning in class the blond was cold and distant again. Harry knew instantly it was because his exam was the class after. Wanting to give him some support, Harry stopped him in the hallway after class.

"Draco, wait up," Harry said, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Potter, I only have ten minutes to review my notes before class!" Draco exclaimed.

"You knew everything the other day when I quizzed you, so what are you worried about?" Harry asked.

"Potter!" Draco turned his head sharply as he continued to walk. "That was the other day, this is today."

"It's not like you've forgotten everything, Draco. You just need to relax," Harry said.

The blond suddenly stopped and glared at him. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that before an exam on everything we've covered so far?"

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything. So Draco wheeled back around and stormed off. Harry wanted to comfort him or force him to relax a bit since he was positive the blond knew the information, he was just having a panic attack. Sighing heavily, he decided to just let him be. At dinner, Draco was still a bit grumpy since he wasn't sure how he did on the test. So Harry did bother him about him and was pleased when he sat by Nicholas anyway (so Harry could sit near him as well as Lucas, Tavis and the others).

Harry stayed a little late at dinner talking with Lucas and afterward went up to Draco's common room. There, he approached his door and knocked softly. Draco answered seconds later still looking a bit grumpy. Harry noticed he was already dressed for bed since he was only in his boxers.

"Can I come in for a sec?" Harry asked.

"Make it quick Potter, I'm tired," Draco said, opening the door.

Harry stepped inside. "You still nervous about the exam?"

"Potter," Draco groaned, slumping down on his bed and resting an arm over his forehead. "Please, just let me rest."

Instead of listening, Harry approached him and sat on the bed while gently placing a hand on Draco's bare shoulder. The blond opened his eyes and glanced at him even as his arm remained over his forehead.

"Hey, I'm sure you did great," Harry said gently. "You knew everything already. You just got a little nervous."

Draco snorted softly and closed his eyes again. He seemed a little less moody, but still exhausted. Harry smiled and trailed his fingertips along Draco's arm that was draped over his forehead. He watched as goosebumps appeared and Draco's eyes peered open.

"I know you're tired so I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said, removing his hand.

"Yeah," Draco grumbled quietly.

Bending down, Harry planted a soft kiss on his cheek and then got up. The blond glanced at him warily but seemed too tired to speak. Harry quietly left the room and went back to his. When he got there, a letter was resting on his bed and after getting into clean boxers he opened it.

_Harry,_

_Hey, it's no problem about wanting to spend time your boyfriend. I understand, well, er…not like that, but you get what I mean. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that mum told me that you should invite your boyfriend to stay with us, if he already doesn't have plans with his family. That way you both could come since mum's dying to meet him (she didn't freak out when we told her you were gay. She only asked because of the article, by the way). Oh, and Remus wants to meet him too! Everyone's really expecting you to be there—you know, since we don't get to see you often since you started that school. Anyway, I really hope you decide to come! Convince your boyfriend, okay? _

_Your friend,_

_Ron_

Harry dropped the letter and groaned as he covered his face with his hands. What was he going to do now? Draco had said he didn't want to go to Ron's house and Ron and his family really wanted to see him. Not to mention Remus did too and Harry had to admit, he missed the older man. But it's not like he could show up with Draco—everyone would freak out. Not that he could convince the blond in the first place. Sighing warily, Harry decided to save the problem for another day. Thankfully, it was only September so Christmas was still a few months away. He'd have to figure out a solution at some point, but first he had to know if Draco even wanted to spend Christmas with him. Unfortunately, he'd just have to wait and see.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Gbheart: **Yeah, eventually Harry will get to wrap his arms around Draco, lol! But the blond is still coming to terms with everything so it won't happen right away. :-)

**VeriAequeRedem: **Thanks! I'm glad you think it's going at a nice pace. Yeah, I didn't want to rush it at all, especially since putting Harry and Draco together is rather difficult. Lol! Glad it's still keeping you entertained though!

**Kari-Sama: **Lol! Oh good, that means I'm still updating quickly! Yeah, Tavis is a great guy, isn't he? Lol! Too bad Draco doesn't think so! Hehe!

**Branwen777: **Oh good, I'm glad you think they're still in character. It's really hard putting them together with Draco's stubborn personality, but I'm glad it's still realistic. Yes, it was a good sign that Draco went after Harry that one time! He's slowly coming around—not completely yet, but soon!

**The Earth Mystic: **Yes, well I suppose it's a small school, lol! So now they kind of came out of the closet, but it will be shown a little later more of people's reactions to them (like random characters and eventually, dun, dun DUN Harry's friends…). Tehehehe! Well, a couple people already guessed who Lucas is going to get with, lol! I didn't think it was obvious at all, but perhaps some people are just psychic!

**Lollylover: **Oh good:-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Yep, slowly Draco is coming to terms with his feelings. It's being shown only through Harry's eyes so sometimes it's hard to catch, but he IS opening up more. However, it's still progressing so he's not completely there yet. But eventually! Hehe!

**MoonlightGoddess08: **Aw, thanks! I'm so glad you like this story! Really? You were hooked on the summary? Wow, I wasn't sure if it was a good enough summary. What about the prologue? Was it hard to get into the story at first because of the Ginny/reluctant Harry? I know a couple people said they skimmed the prologue, so I wonder if I should change anything. Anywhoo, thanks a bunch! I'll continue to update faster!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Hehehe! Well, it's assumed that Tavis wasn't killed, but I'm sure Draco had fun chasing him. Lol! Ah yes, what a crazy school it has become indeed! And it's going to get a little more interesting next chapter:-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Hey! I'm sorry about that! As I stated above the chapter, sometimes FF doesn't show me all the reviews until later so I have to go back and refresh everything. But I fixed it! Your name should be in the last chapter now. I don't know why that happened. Lol! You read it before school again? Uh oh…I advice not reading the next chapter before school then. :-)

**tgkur: **Haha! Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

**GoddessMoonLady: **Oh yes, they do meet! You'll see! Well, not everybody meets, but…it will come up soon! Yes, that was a sign that Draco's got feelings since he actually initiated something, but unfortunately because of Draco's stubborn personality he's not quite there yet. And I'm afraid something a little dramatic needs to happen for him to realize his feelings. :-) Thanks and I shall update shortly!

**Skittlelove: **Lol! Oh good, I'm glad I updated fast then:-) Hehehe, you watched it as a dance? That's cool! Probably made it more interesting than how it was written! Yeah, Draco's still getting there, but the fact that he went to Harry last time shows he has feelings. Unfortunately, something dramatic will have to happen in order for him to realize this. And yes, you are right about you-know-what. :-)

**Cath: **Hey, thanks! I'm so glad you like this so far! Yes, Draco is really stubborn isn't he? I suppose Harry does seem a tiny bit clingy, but he's the only one who can possibly initiate this rather impossible relationship. :-) Draco has too much pride to take the initiative, unfortunately, but he is slowly progressing!

**Wouldn't you like to know: **Thanks! I'm glad you like this still! Ah yes, Hermione and Ron's reactions will come a little later. Oh no, Harry's fine with paying for school for both him and Draco. He's got a small fortune after all and he's only paying for the two of them (since he doesn't have any family or anything—obviously, lol!). So he's fine, but of course he can't pay for him forever. :-)

**Kayla: **Lol! Don't worry, there will be more sexual content to come. You'll have your fill. Don't worry, there's not any angst. But there will be something dramatic that comes up that forces Draco to realize his feelings. Oh yes, Ron and Hermione will find out eventually, lol!

**Chosen-one4: **Hehe, good I'm glad I'm updating quickly! I know, some people want Harry to be dominant. He will at one point…er…change positions. I don't want to ruin it for you. You'll see, but that's not till later. Thanks!

**(none): **Does what ever? O.o Sorry, I'm lost, lol! I hope you like this though!

**Shoozie: **Awww, thank you! What a big compliment! I suppose I should try another DM/HP at some point. But for right now, I want to make sure I keep updating fast:-)

**LadyDragonWolfKnight: **Aw, thanks you! I'm glad you like this! Ah yes, Harry wants an actual relationship too:-) It shall come eventually!

**Smurff: **Yay! I'm glad you like this so far! Yes, dear Draco is just so stubborn and yet irresistible isn't he? Ah yes, there will be more sex. Lol! And I shall continue to update every one to two days:-)

**C.Khafre**: Lol! Yeah, I agree. It is endearing isn't it? Calling him Potter, I mean. Well, so far Draco doesn't want to break the tradition!

**Realityisoverrated: **Lol! Yes, dear Draco is so stubborn! And yet Harry is still attracted to him! Hehe! Oh yes, have no fear, Draco will open up completely by the end. Something dramatic will have to happen though for him to realize his feelings. Nothing angsty or sad though, so you won't have to worry about that. :-)


	18. Inevitable Test

**Captivation**

_Author's Note: Be prepared for a super-long chappy:-)_

_Small Disclaimer: The site I use in case I forget something in Harry Potter, like potions, people, magic, etc. is an ultimate HP website called The Harry Potter Lexicon! You all should visit it! Very great site! Just google it, since FF won't let me use a URL. _

**_Warning: Sexual content in this chapter._**

**Chapter 17: Inevitable Test**

The time for the second Quidditch match came and the team was from Switzerland. They were even more prepared than the Japanese team. Twice Harry lost sight of the snitch and the other team nearly had it, if it hadn't been for the bludger that sped by and scared it out of their reach. Harry managed to catch it just barely before the other player the third time around since he had a faster broom. After the game, however, it didn't get easier. Studies became more difficult because of exams coming up before Christmas. Both Harry and Draco were constantly busy but sometimes they'd get together with Tavis and Lucas and the others for study groups. Occasionally, for some alone time, Harry went into Draco's room late at night. Many times they had sex (probably because of the stress) but sometimes they were both too exhausted so Harry just slept with him.

The third and final Quidditch match (for that semester in order to win a trophy) was scheduled for the day after Christmas. December was rapidly approaching and still he and Draco were together—or as together as they could be. The blond had his good days and his bad ones. Harry knew it would still take more time before Draco completely trusted him so for the most part he was just thankful when they did have some time to talk or kiss.

That night, two weeks before Christmas Eve, Harry snuck into Draco's room. Because of their busy schedules he hadn't been able to do it for past few weeks, but just seeing him in class or during study groups wasn't enough. If they wanted an actual relationship, they'd have to see each other even during times of stress. So Harry decided to visit him at night, as a little surprise. Their exams were during the next week, which thankfully ended the day before Christmas Eve.

Harry was incredibly grateful that Draco didn't make it a habit of locking his room, since he came in and out quite often (and occasionally Harry visited him after Quidditch practice). So he crept inside and saw that the blond was resting in his bed. Whether or not he was fast asleep Harry couldn't tell, but slowly he approached the bed. It was only a little after ten thirty so he hoped Draco wasn't entirely asleep. Bending down, Harry ghosted his fingers across the blond's forehead to lift his bangs. Draco's eyes were closed and he didn't seem to stir from the gentle touch.

He brushed his lips across the blond's cheek and saw his eyebrows furrow for a brief second. So he was asleep. Harry sighed then shrugged. They hadn't spent some quality time together in the past couple of weeks due to studying and Quidditch so he figured just this once he'd wake the blond. Waving his wand, Harry made his clothes vanish so that he was only in his boxers, then he slowly got up on the other side of Draco and slipped beneath the covers. Harry scooted closer until he was right behind the other boy. Carefully, he lifted a hand and began caressing the blond's back with his fingertips.

Draco made a noise in the back of his throat and slowly turned over. His eyebrows furrowed and as Harry pressed a kiss to his lips, Draco's eyes opened slowly.

"Potter," he whispered groggily. "What are you—"

Harry kissed him again. "I decided to surprise you since we haven't spent some quality time together in a while."

Draco blinked and stared at him, seemingly tired and annoyed. "So you had to wake me?"

"Yeah," Harry said, reaching out a hand to push back the blond's bangs.

Then wordlessly Harry put a hand on Draco's cheek and leaned in for another kiss. The blond's lips were warm and slowly he parted them. Harry then took the initiative and slipped his tongue inside the warm mouth. His arms wrapped around Draco's back and began pulling at him to signal that he wanted him to move. Still a bit tired, Draco raised his body up slowly and lay down on top of him. Harry was grateful the blond slept in his boxers for it was easy to pull them down.

Once Draco lay naked on top of him, continuing to kiss him languidly, Harry began easing his boxers off as well. Their warm, bare skin touched and Draco let out a breathless sound as Harry moaned.

"Draco," Harry breathed as he broke the kiss. "You want to try a different angle?"

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Like what, Potter?" he asked gently.

Harry gazed up at him, marveling how there didn't seem to be a sarcastic expression on his face this time around.

"Er, I'm not sure. You would know better than I would."

Draco snorted in amusement and then bent down and retrieved his pillow. "Lift up," he said, gesturing to his hips.

Harry did as he was told and the blond slipped the pillow beneath his lower back, allowing his hips to be raised a bit. Then Draco lay back atop him and Harry wrapped his arms around his neck. He already spread his legs, knowing what was to come but he allowed the blond to initiate it. Harry gasped as Draco proceeded to enter him slowly and was amazed at how the slight change in angle made a difference. Harry's eyes rolled back a bit as the blond struck a pleasurable nerve. Groaning, Harry didn't even have to lift his hips as Draco slid all the way in and then came back out. Harry tightened his grip around the blond as the pace began to pick up.

Draco was obviously tired since the last time they had sex the blond had nearly thrust into him in one go. Harry's neck tilted back as Draco moved inside of him, creating friction easily with the new angle. The blond was groaning softly by his ear. A sudden wave of euphoria swept over him as Draco roughly hit a very sensitive pleasure-region and Harry moaned and clenched his muscles. The blond suddenly hissed, arching his own back up as his erection was squeezed tightly from Harry's reaction. Draco grunted and rolled his hips forward, causing Harry to let out another moan.

Their pace quickened even more and Harry was soon panting and grunting. His eyes were shut and his neck was still arched from the pleasure. Draco suddenly grabbed the back of his right thigh and thrust into him with more force. Harry's whole body shook and he groaned loudly.

"God! Nnuuhh!" Harry moaned as the blond continued to thrust in quick motions.

"Unh!" Draco grunted, flexing his back muscles as he thrust in deeply.

The blond arched up and shut his eyes while tilting his head back. He wasn't completely on top of Harry, he had risen up as he arched, though Harry kept his arms wrapped around him. As Draco thrust in deeply again, rocking their hips up, Harry released his orgasm seconds before Draco did. The blond remained inside of him until he finished and then slowly pulled out and rolled off of him, panting breathlessly. This time, Draco was the one to grab his wand from the bureau and wave a cleansing spell over the bed.

Harry then turned, still breathing heavily. "Draco, did you think about spending time together over Christmas?"

The blond was staring up at the ceiling and turned his head to face him. Even in the dark, Harry could make out his features.

"Aren't you going with your friends Potter?" Draco asked, after a moment's hesitation.

Harry inhaled deeply then sat up, staring down at him. "I've figured out a solution just don't freak out on me, okay?"

Draco just stared at him and Harry continued: "Okay…my friends are expecting me to visit and they told me I should invite my boyfriend too."

Draco snorted. "Like hell that's going to work. Even if I wanted to go, which I don't, your friends would have a fit."

"I know, but hear me out. I was thinking, since I know that place in Knockturn Alley, Borgin and Burkes, sells illegal items and dark items. Well, I'm quite sure they have some Polyjuice potion that you could use to disguise your—"

Draco sat up instantly. "Are you mad Potter? First off, Borgin and Burkes isn't exactly cheap and if anyone finds out you're buying Polyjuice potion it'll be all over the papers and the Ministry will be breathing down your neck! Second of all, I'm not going to take some disgusting potion to pose as your boyfriend at the Weasel's house!"

"Draco, please! It's the only way we can spend time together over Christmas!" Harry pleaded.

"I don't care! I'm not going to step foot near the Weasel!" Draco exclaimed angrily. "And I don't want to pose as somebody else either!"

"I know this is a big favor and I've already asked a lot of you—"

"Yes, you have! And it is a big favor—too big!" Draco exclaimed, slumping back down onto the bed.

Harry sighed and scooted a bit closer to the blond, whose back was facing him. Gently, he put a hand on the blond's shoulder.

"Listen, I just need to show my face there, alright? And this way we can spend the holidays together. You told me you didn't have anywhere else to go, right? I mean, you could stay here, but the probability that more than a few people are going to stay here as well is unlikely, which means you'll be pretty much alone," Harry said quietly near his ear. "Please, Draco. Please just give it a shot and if something happens I'll take full blame."

Draco wheeled around and glared at him. "If the Weasel so much as even attempts to get on my nerves, I'm leaving!"

"Deal," Harry answered instantly, smiling.

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. "So who the hell am I going to be?"

"Lucas," Harry replied. "Since Ginny thinks he's my boyfriend. If I come there with somebody else she'll call me out."

"Fantastic," Draco quipped with sarcasm. "And how are you going to achieve this Potter?"

"Well, I'm going to need you to get the potion from me," Harry said hesitantly.

Draco's eyes snapped onto him and his gaze darkened.

"It's because, well, since Knockturn Alley is really mostly for Slytherins, or most Slytherins shop there, I doubt Mr. Borgins is going to sell me anything."

"Potter, if I'm seen buying anything—"

"Alright, fine I understand. I know your family is already in trouble with the Ministry so I don't want you to get in trouble. I guess I could just use a temporary charm that makes me look like somebody else. It'll only last up to a half-hour, but that should be enough. And I'll get the potion, then when I say goodbye to Lucas for the holidays I'll just grab a piece of his hair. Then I'll have to use a cloning spell on it, as well as the potion, because you'll have to keep taking it while we're there. But if anything feels like it's going to go wrong, of you get sick of it, we'll leave early and make up an excuse, okay?" Harry asked.

"Fine Potter, I'm only agreeing to this because I have nothing better to do. And this way I can see what sort of new house his family has bought."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You mean so you can criticize it? Might I remind you, you can't call him Weasel while you're there, nor make snide comments, nor call me Potter? You'll have to act nicely otherwise they'll figure it out."

"Whatever," Draco muttered. "I'm not going to stay there overnight, Potter."

"Er, well presents don't come till the next day."

"Please tell me you're joking?" Draco hissed, staring at him with an annoyed look.

"Look, if you do this for me I promise you the Christmas present I get you will be really good."

The blond stared at him then rolled his eyes a bit and turned over.

"Fine," Draco murmured quietly. "Now can I get some sleep?"

"Yeah," Harry sighed, lying down beside him.

The two elapsed into silence and as Harry stared at the back of the blond's head he thought about what he could possibly get him. Suddenly, he remembered just how badly Draco wanted that new broom. Now that it was out for sale, it'd be easy to pick up. And obviously since the blond didn't have any money he could use, since his mother controlled everything and she had probably taken his inheritance anyway, Draco couldn't buy it for himself. That was a good present for him.

Normally, people got their boyfriends or girlfriends something romantic or sappy, but Draco wasn't that kind of person. He showed his feelings in a different way and wasn't always direct. Still, because the broom was for sale now it was probably much cheaper, which meant he could pick up a little something extra too—something with sentimental value, but not anything sappy. He wasn't a sappy person either, but he wanted to show Draco he did care about him.

_As if paying for him and sleeping with him isn't obvious enough. _

Harry just smiled softly. Draco needed more proof than that—that was probably why it was taking a while for him to open up completely. Growing up, the blond most likely hadn't experienced any love from his parents so for him to see that Harry cared for him was difficult. He just needed to be patient and in time Draco would see that Harry deeply cared for him; perhaps he even…

His thoughts trailed off as sleep overcame him. The next days passed slowly since Harry didn't get to spend any more quality time with the blond (except during study periods or in the dining hall). Harry was also busy studying. He was keeping his grades up nicely—Hermione would be very proud of him. Of course it helped that none of his classes involved Potions or Divination so he was eager to learn all he could about Quidditch. Still, there were many challenging aspects, especially when it came to testing.

The exam week came and Harry and Draco were both stressed out to the point where they hardly spoke much. Harry even found himself studying notes while eating and looking through old graded essays in his room before bed. By the end of the week, Harry was so grateful that exams were over that he wasn't even concerned about the fact that he had to get the Polyjuice potion. It was simple enough to use a quick concealment charm—it wasn't strong at all and it was very easy to detect. However, because Mr. Borgins dealt with nasty customers all the time, he probably wouldn't be suspicious of him and therefore wouldn't sense the charm.

It was the day before Christmas Eve and Harry slipped out of the school (since his last exam was over) and headed to Knockturn Alley (back in England) by way of train (since it was obviously too far to fly or apparate). Before entering, however, he used the charm to turn his hair blond and it grew long, to his shoulders. He made sure to keep long bangs to cover his scar (since he didn't know how to use the charm to hide it). Since he didn't have his glasses on, he looked different anyway. That was all he could do with the charm anyway. It wasn't like what a metamorphmagus, like Tonks, could do. It was very limited.

Harry walked into the store, making sure to keep his long, blond hair covering the sides of his face. He walked to the counter to see a tall, lanky older man with a bald spot in the middle of his head. He had narrowed eyes, deep brown but they appeared black from a distance. And his hair was white with gray specks. However, he walked arrogantly and held his body straight. He spotted Harry and immediately a sneer came to his face. Harry prayed that was how he greeted all his customers.

"My young fellow, is there something you want?"

"Yes, actually," Harry said, forcing his words out with a Scottish accent (rather than English) to better hide his identity. He was thankful for being around Tavis to know what a Scottish accent sounded like. "I am looking for some already-brewed Polyjuice potion, if you have some."

"Mmm, Polyjuice potion?" the man's eyes glittered as his smirk widened. "And what is it you need it for?"

"Nothing illegal, if that's what you're referring to. It's for…a little prank on my annoying younger brother, for Christmas."

"A prank?" Mr. Borgins sounded intrigued.

"Yes, I'm going to disguise myself as this boy he's afraid of in school and…well, the details aren't important. So, do you have any?"

"I might," Mr. Borgins said, coolly stringing his hands together. "But you know, ever since…," he hesitated and looked around before continuing. "Ever since You-Know-Who's defeat, I've gotten so much less business. It was lot more fun before, you see, since I carried many illegal items. The Ministry has since checked out every store in Knockturn Alley to make sure no…riots or vengeance schemes are being plotted, and they took several of my illegal items. However, I do have a few items that aren't very rare, but…I'm short on them, since it'd be hard to brew any potions at all."

Harry inwardly rolled his eyes but didn't dare do it in front of the man. "How much are you asking me to pay for a bottle?"

"Hmm, well since I only have two bottles left…how about two hundred galleons?" Mr. Borgins grinned toothily.

"For one bottle? That's a bit pricey. Look, it would be a lot cheaper for me to make it on my own, but I don't have a month. So, I'll give you one hundred galleons for it, nothing more."

Mr. Borgins pursed his lips and slowly disappeared behind the curtain that led to the back room. When he came back out, he was holding a small vial. He grinned as Harry approached the counter.

"You make quite a bargain," Mr. Borgins narrowed his eyes. "I haven't ever seen you around here boy."

"That's because I'm not from around here. I'm visiting for the holidays," Harry said, keeping his Scottish accent hopefully convincing.

"I see," the man sneered. "Well, do come back again."

Harry took the vial after handing him the money and nodded. Then he left the store and felt rather relieved. That was until he caught sight of somebody very familiar. It was Narcissa Malfoy, who still held her nose up in the air as if she smelled dung. Harry felt the charm wearing off and immediately he ran to a corner to hide. If he was spotted at all in Knockturn Alley so soon after Voldemort's defeat he'd probably be attacked. He watched as Draco's mother entered one of the robe shops. As much as he wanted to spy on her, if he got caught staring, even if he put another charm, it wouldn't look good. Quickly, he apparated out of Knockturn Alley and appeared in Hogsmeade where he went to the same shop as before, _Broomsville_, to get a broom. The shop had a few people in it and the man behind the counter spotted him.

"Welcome back Harry," he smiled.

A couple people turned and Harry quickly flattened his bangs to make sure his scar wasn't showing. He approached the counter and the man chuckled softly.

"Don't want people to know who you are, ey?"

"Er, yeah," Harry shrugged. "I actually wondered if I could buy another Volare3000."

The man's eyebrows rose. "Did the other one not last long?"

"Oh no, it did, but…well…it's for a friend for Christmas," Harry said, smiling.

"I see," he smiled back. "There's a couple left, actually. Most professional Quidditch players want one—every team wants one—but they can't make that many of them, because they take so long to make. So that's why you're lucky to have bought it now while in school. Once you get out there, some Quidditch team is going to like the fact that you have the broom. Of course that's not the only thing they'll look at, but you'll probably have an advantage over other teams. Well…until all teams start recruiting new youngsters like yourself," he chuckled with a shake of his head.

He summoned one from back and smiled. "That'll be five hundred galleons."

Harry smiled and signed a parchment again, since he didn't have that much left on him (since he spent two hundred on one potion). Then the man wrapped it up nicely for him.

"Thanks," Harry smiled. "Erm, do you happen to know of any really nice jewelry stores around?"

The man cocked his head in thought. "Yes, I believe there's a small one across from that Owl store, you know a couple blocks from The Three Broomsticks. I heard it was nice."

"Okay, thanks," Harry waved to him.

"Come back again," the man smiled.

Harry left and followed the man's directions. The man was right. A small shop sat at the corner with charmed glass that gleamed in the sunlight. Harry opened it and heard a melody answer for a few seconds. The door was obviously charmed to sing as well. The moment he entered, Harry knew it was perfect. Not only could he find something for Hermione, but for Draco as well. Although it was small, there were different sections. One of them had jewelry made from Dragon bones and scales. Another section had one made from phoenix feathers and other creatures. A young woman with deep brown hair and green eyes appeared nearby and smiled.

"Welcome young man. Can I help you find something?"

Harry blinked, not having seen many people with the same eye color. Hers was a bit lighter, but it still caused him to stare.

"Er, do you have any suggestions for getting something for a girl?"

"Oh, of course," she smiled brightly, probably thinking it was for his girlfriend. "Over here there are lovely necklaces, rings and bracelets made from rare gem stones found in the eggs of a hippocampus."

"What's that?" Harry asked, not finding it familiar.

The woman perked up. "Oh, well it's a Mer-horse—lives in deep, cold waters. Sometimes it moves and they're often very hard to find, but if you can find one who has recently laid eggs then there could be gems in them. Because the Mer-horse has the ability to keep predators at bay by using a shimmering powder that turns to mist underwater, sometimes when it lays eggs its mild power forms into a gemstone. They're hard to come by though."

"How do they know which eggs have them?"

"Well there's a slight glimmer to the egg, but you have to look closely. And if you're wrong it could kill the unborn Mer-horse. However, if there is a gem in there, it has to be taken out by magical methods or else the unborn Mer-horse will swallow it and you won't get it back," she chuckled.

Harry looked through the jewelry in that section and picked out a bracelet with glimmering Mer-horse gemstones. There were several colors—pink, golden-yellow and pale blue. Some of the shapes were interesting and they glimmered brightly, especially in the sunlight.

"This looks nice," Harry commented.

"Ah yes, I'm sure your lady friend will like it. The nice thing about Mer-horse gemstones is that sometimes they can change colors, like with the outfit a person wears. Not all of them do that though. Still, this is a nice choice," she smiled. "Would you like me to go wrap this while you continue looking?"

"Sure, thanks," Harry said, handing it to her gently.

Harry chose something else for Ginny—a nice necklace with a glimmering flower. Then for Draco he went right to the dragon section. There, he found a very small section for Serpentine-Dragons. Finding that incredibly perfect, Harry found a pendent that had a silver Serpentine-Dragon and its wings were made out of a glimmering gemstone, as well as its eyes. And in its claw it held a real pearl.

"Ah, this one is incredibly special," she smiled.

Harry felt his heart jump in reaction. She was suddenly behind him looking over his shoulder. Picking it up, Harry felt how smooth it was.

"You know, for an extra fifty galleons you can put a charm on it too."

"What sort of charm?" Harry asked curiously.

"A simple protection charm so that they can't lose it and also it alerts the wearer of danger. It's simple, but still useful. And it holds permanently because when the charm is placed upon the pearl it remains because pearls can absorb magic much more easily than gemstones," she nodded.

"Alright," Harry nodded back. "I'll take it, er, with the protection charm."

"Great, I'll wrap this up too," she smiled.

Harry followed her to the counter where he watched her place it in a square velvet-black box. Then she wrapped it in Christmas paper (which was charmed to show _Merry X-mas_ in blinking gold letters). Harry took his three gifts and thanked her. For Ron he decided to give him his old Firebolt, but cleaned it till it was brand new with his broom kit. He also bought him a poster of the whole Chudley Canon team, which was also signed by the players. He only happened up on that by luck, since he had stopped in the gift store just to pick up a special broom-kit for Ron as well.

He didn't have to worry about Ron's parents or brothers—Molly had told him that many times before, but he of course had to make sure to get his best friends something. And he picked up a magic wizard-camera for Lucas that could take pictures from far away as well. And for Tavis he also picked up a broom-kit. Once he was all set, he headed to the train station which took him back to Scotland. It was already close to evening and Harry was tired. When he got back he gave Tavis his gift, since the next day was Christmas Eve and they both were leaving.

"Thanks Harry," he winked. "Got you something too."

He handed Harry a small box. "Thanks."

After saying goodbye to him, temporarily of course, Harry went to Lucas' common room. He knocked on his room door and the boy answered.

"Hi Harry," Lucas smiled. "Come on in."

"Hey, this is for you," Harry handed him a wrapped package.

Lucas smiled and embraced him. "How thoughtful! It's a good thing I went out shopping a couple days ago. This is for you."

He handed him a wrapped gift as well and Harry smiled. "Thanks."

Harry moved in for another embrace, but when he did he raked a hand through Lucas' hair and pulled out a strand as he kissed the boy's cheek.

"I hope you have a nice trip."

"Thanks Harry," he smiled, scratching his head. "I hope you have fun too. We'll see each other in a few days."

Harry nodded and stayed for a little bit to talk, keeping the strand of hair tucked away in his pocket. Once they said their goodbyes, Harry went back up to his room and cloned both the strand of hair and the potion vial. He was so grateful for learning advanced charms. Of course it was most likely illegal to clone a Polyjuice potion, since the potion itself was considered illegal and somewhat rare (it was a bit hard to make), but Harry figured it was worth it. It wasn't like he was going to do something terrible with it. His friends couldn't know that he was dating Draco…at least not yet.

Getting into bed, Harry remembered that he and Draco (disguised as Lucas) were to meet up at Ron's house by noon. Although Draco wasn't looking forward to it, he had at least agreed to it. And thankfully, thanks to the little bit of knowledge about potions Harry was forced to learn during the war, Harry knew an intensifier (the bezoar plant) to add to the Polyjuice potion so it would last up to five hours. All he needed was a couple strands of it, which he managed to find in the Room of Requirement where he (and other students for Entranced or Cursed) had gotten Veritaserum. Harry wouldn't add the strand of hair until Draco was ready to drink it, which would be right before noon.

Early the next morning, Harry got up and arranged things that he needed. Draco had been complaining a lot about spending the night so Harry opted to bring some things for him, such as Quidditch magazines. After getting dressed into his nice velvet, black pants and wore a new pearl-white blouse, Harry met Draco in his room. The blond yanked open the door. He was wearing silky black pants (made entirely from Demiguise hair—charmed to grow with the person) and a silky, silver blouse.

"If I have to share a room with any of them I'm calling it off," Draco said sternly.

"Fine, fine," Harry sighed. "Are you ready? It's about eleven and it'll take us about a half-hour to forty minutes to get there by train."

"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be," Draco muttered darkly. "Tell me again why we have to spend the night?"

"Because it's Christmas Eve, Draco. According to most family traditions, there's a celebration on the Eve and then the next day is when presents are exchanged and opened," Harry said, crossing his arms as Draco finished combing his hair. "And you look great."

Draco turned to him and snorted. "Not that it matters, right? In a little while I'll look like someone else entirely."

"Do you want to go there as yourself?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

The blond scowled in annoyance. "Hand me the potion."

Harry handed it to him along with the strand of hair. "Wait until we're at our stop and before we get off the train then drink it."

"Great," Draco crinkled his nose in disgust. "It smells horrid."

"It tastes horrid too," Harry said and Draco gave him a look. "Er, never mind. Long story. Okay, let's go."

The two then departed together. Harry was the only one who brought a small trunk to carry stuff in. Draco had said he didn't really need anything except his wand (which he would use to bathe, dress and do everything with). Harry had the feeling it was because he didn't want to touch anything in Ron's house or as little as possible anyway. They apparated to the train station and waited about five minutes for it to arrive. Then they boarded it and managed to find an empty compartment. Draco slumped down into a seat and Harry sat next to him. Looking at the grumpy expression on Draco's face, Harry inwardly smiled and moved closer till he was brushing up against the other boy.

"Oh, I have another favor," Harry said, leaning toward him.

Draco eyed him and gave him a sarcastic look. "You mean besides being nice to the Weasel and his family, eating with them, sleeping over, pretending to be someone else and pretending to enjoy myself?"

"Yes," Harry said, ignoring the look of annoyance that passed over the blond's face. "Will you kiss me in front of Ginny?"

Draco raised both eyebrows. "Is this some kind of revenge?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, not revenge. She just needs to get it through her head that I don't like her romantically and that I'm gay. I mean, I even gave her this long, detailed explanation of how I didn't know I was gay when I was with her, but that I still don't have feelings for her like that and that I'm really sorry and all this stuff. I mean, I was sincere and honest with her and she _still_ wouldn't get it through her head! She didn't want to believe I wasn't hers. She's just mad that she can't parade me around as her boyfriend," Harry muttered darkly. "Anyway, that's why I had Lucas pretend to be my boyfriend in front of her."

"And she still didn't buy it?" Draco asked.

"Well, she thought we were together, but she thinks I'm turning gay because I got scared of commitment with her, or whatever," Harry sighed heavily. "She even admitted that I was hers, as if I was property or something. I even gave her evidence why it isn't love that she has for me, but obsession and still she won't give up."

"She needs a slap in the face," Draco murmured, pushing back his bangs.

Harry watched him, a bit disappointed that the blond would have to turn into someone else. He'd have to kiss him as Lucas and although Lucas was a very handsome boy, Harry wasn't in love with him. Wait…in love? Did he…_love_ Draco? Swallowing thickly, Harry just smiled in response to Draco's comment.

"I think once she sees us making out she'll finally realize I'm into you, er…well, Lucas, but really you," Harry said and Draco turned his head to stare at him. "I was thinking like after we get introduced to everyone and start playing games—"

"What? Games? I have to play games now?" Draco retorted, looking violated.

"—and after lunch," Harry continued as if he hadn't interrupted, "you and I should make it look like we're slipping away, but wait until she sees us sneaking out. Then we'll go to a corner or private area and start kissing, okay?"

Draco leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. "Do I have a choice?"

"Technically, yes. So I hope you'll do it. Then hopefully she'll get rid of her obsession over me and let me live my life."

"Alright, fine," Draco murmured.

Harry glanced at him and watched as he raked his fingers through his blond hair. Smiling, Harry leaned closer to him smelling a different cologne than usual—something a bit more mild, but still just as pleasant.

"Draco," Harry said softly.

"What?" Draco inquired, tilting his head to face him.

Harry leaned all the way forward and pressed his lips to the blond's. Almost instantly, he let his hand trail to the blond's jaw, keeping their kiss in tact. Draco kissed him back languidly and Harry then scooted closer, wrapping an arm around the other boy's neck. The train jerked and their kiss was broken. Both of them looked around and Harry faced the blond without pulling away.

"Alright, looks like our stop is the next one. You should probably take the potion now."

Giving him a disgusted look, Draco pulled out the potion and uncorked it. Then he pulled out one hair from a small vial (which contained at least ten hairs since Harry cloned the one strand since the blond would have to take another potion every five hours) and put it into the Polyjuice potion. It dissolved instantly and Draco gulped, making a face as he put the potion to his lips, closed his eyes and downed it in one gulp.

"Egh! God, that's terrible!" Draco exclaimed, shaking his head.

Harry watched, entranced, as the blond's hair slowly began to change, turning black and wavy. Instead of silver oval-shaped eyes, they became wider and rounder. Then his irises became a deep ocean blue. His shoulders broadened as he became slightly taller and his face lengthened. Instead of a round chin he had a slightly pointier chin and his cheekbones rose up a bit as well.

"Wow, amazing," Harry said, smiling.

"Great," Draco stated, sounding exactly like Lucas only sarcastic.

"Now everyone won't keel over from a heart-attack," Harry teased, giving the blond a soft smile.

"Haha, hilarious," Draco said, rolling his new, deep-blue eyes.

"Come on, Draco. Try to act a little more…I don't know, graceful with etiquette."

"Yeah, yeah," the momentarily-not-blond murmured.

The train stopped again and this time the two of them walked off. Then they got out their brooms and flew the rest of five minutes to a slightly larger, not-so-lopsided Weasley house.

"This is their new house?" Draco gazed at it, seemingly unimpressed. "I suppose it's better than the last, but still not very big. And definitely not classy."

Harry laughed softly. "Just don't say that to them."

The two arrived at the front door a few minutes after noon. Knocking politely, Harry stood nervously while Draco fiddled awkwardly with his hands. A second later the door burst open and Ginny stood before them. Her eyes took in Lucas in recognition immediately and she nodded reluctantly.  
"Hi," she said, forcing a smile. "Come in."

Draco glanced at Harry, who exchanged a similarly suspicious look. Harry wasn't sure if Ginny was mad, jealous or trying to act like she was completely over him. Either way, Harry shrugged and entered alongside Draco. Immediately, Draco began examining their new house and Harry hoped he wouldn't let anything slip. They walked into the foyer and in the kitchen only a room away Harry heard a familiar voice.

"Ginny dear, is somebody hear?" Mrs. Weasley called out.

"Yes mom, Harry and his boyfriend are here!" she announced loudly.

Harry just smiled to show he wasn't embarrassed and immediately Molly rushed in from the kitchen. Draco stiffened as she came in and caught sight of him. Her hands immediately went to her mouth and her eyes crinkled as if she were about to cry.

"Oh, my gosh," she gasped, clutching at her bosom. "It is so nice to meet you. Welcome to the family," she said, swooping down over Draco and suffocating him in a hug.

Draco awkwardly patted her back as he tried to breathe. "Er…thanks."

"What's your name sweetheart?" Mrs. Weasley cooed, smiling at him as she pulled away.

"Er, Lucas ma'am, er Mrs. Weasley," Draco replied awkwardly.

"Oh isn't he such a dear?" Molly exclaimed, pinching his cheeks. "Harry, he's just perfect!"

Molly went to give him a suffocating hug and Harry saw Ginny roll her eyes at her mom's comment.

"Oh sure, but my boyfriend's not perfect?"

"Oh honey, I've already met Darian. Now, come on in you two. Remus and Tonks are already here and I'm sure they'd love to meet you, Lucas," Molly smiled widely, pinching his cheek again.

Harry squeezed Draco's arm to signal he was doing well and the other boy just gave him a 'help me' look. Ginny had already disappeared as Harry and Draco followed Molly into the sitting area. Remus, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Bill, Charlie and Ron were all seated.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up.

Immediately all eyes went to him then Lucas. Remus stood up, smiling serenely.

"You must be Harry's boyfriend. I'm Remus Lupin," he said, holding out his hand.

"Hi, Lucas," Draco said, glancing at Harry sideways.

Harry understood the look immediately and realized just what he didn't prepare for. The fact that he didn't know Lucas' last name or anything about his family so if Draco was questioned at all he'd have to make it up.

"By George, what a good looking fellow!" Arthur exclaimed, coming up to pat him on the back.

"You mean like me?" George asked popping in.

"No, he means me," Fred responded, leaning up against the chair.

The two twins grinned at Draco. "So, you want a taffy, Lucas?" George asked (or was it Fred?)

"Er, no. I know not to trust your creations," Draco replied, eyeing the candy as he probably recalled Nicholas turning into a naked woman with floppy breasts.

"Aw, Harry, did you have to tell him?" Fred whined.

"Yeah, that ruins the fun," George added.

Harry just smiled and shrugged. "Sorry."

"How wonderful it is to meet you!" Tonks exclaimed, nearly knocking over the tea-pot as she stood up. "My name's Nymphadora Tonks but you can call me Aunt Dora," she smiled, throwing out her arms to hug him and nearly knocking Remus in the face.

Draco reached out to awkwardly hug her and Tonks nearly tripped over a footrest. Harry managed to grab her arm securely so she and Draco didn't topple to the floor.

"Er, hi," Ron said, approaching him.

Draco stiffened but he gave the red-head a smile. "Hi."

"Nice to meet you, finally," Ron said, holding out his hand.

Draco shook it firmly but briefly and Harry could tell he was a bit nervous in front of them all, especially since he was probably frightened any slip-up would clue them into his true identity.

"So, er Lucas, what's your last name?" Charlie asked, smiling up at him.

"Er, it's…," Draco began awkwardly.

Thankfully he was saved by Molly who came in. "Alright everyone, get comfortable in the dining room it's time to eat!"

Harry saw Draco's shoulders loosen in relief and he squeezed his hand softly. Draco turned to him and gave him a gentle stare and Harry led him into the next room. The two sat next to one another and Ron sat on Harry's other side. Ginny sat across from Lucas and Remus sat across from Harry. Tonks sat next to Remus and Arthur sat at the head of the table next to Mrs. Weasley, who was next to Ron. The twins and Charlie sat on the other side of Ginny while Bill sat on the other side of Draco. Harry noticed that Percy wasn't there.

He had forgotten that things were still awkward between the older boy and his family. Percy still hadn't reconciled with them even after Voldemort came out in the open. In fact, after he had moved to London (and wrote that warning letter to Ron to stay away from Harry) he had almost disappeared off the face of the earth. The only way anyone knew he was still alive was because when Arthur checked his vault after Voldemort's defeat one of the goblins told him that Percy had been in there recently to take out some money (they only revealed that after Arthur proved he was his father). Harry would've thought he'd be there on a holiday though, especially after realizing his parents had been right to question his position as Fudge's assistant (especially after the Barty Crouch incident). Even though time had passed, Percy still hadn't come to terms with the fact that he had been wrong. It seemed that Slytherins weren't the only ones with too much pride.

"So Lucas, tell us about yourself," Molly said, after placing hot plates of roast beef sandwiches in front of everyone.

She summoned tea for herself and then stared at him. Draco didn't answer right away and Harry wasn't sure if he froze with panic. Suddenly, the other boy surprised him.

"Actually, my family is very wealthy," he began calmly.

"Really? And what do they do?" Arthur asked curiously after taking a bite.

Harry immediately answered for him. "Er, his dad's an announcer for the Quidditch championships."

"You don't say?" Arthur exclaimed.

"That's bloody awesome!" Fred exclaimed.

"Fred! No cursing at the table!" Molly warned heatedly.

"And your mother?" Arthur asked.

"Don't!" Harry exclaimed, holding up a hand and glancing quickly at Draco.

The other boy looked at him a bit startled, but kept his expression neutral (just to be safe).

"His…his mother is deceased. He doesn't like to talk about her," Harry said slowly.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Molly exclaimed, gasping. "That must be dreadful! You poor dear!"

"I'm alright," Draco said quietly, making sure to cast his eyes downward as he ate.

"Well, enough personal questions then," Molly said firmly, glancing at Arthur who cleared his throat and looked down as he took a bite.

The conversation steered away from them thankfully as Arthur began to talk about the Ministry and how they were reforming. They were getting completely new and younger members—hopefully stronger and less cowardly members too. And how they were branching off and creating a new Ministry building and adding much more extensive training to become a member or an auror. However, they were in need of aurors in case an uprising occurred. And as this discussion went on Remus and Tonks and everyone joined in and Harry listened on. Occasionally, Ron would ask him a question or direct one at Lucas (mainly about the school).

Once Molly went to clear the plates and everyone was distracted with talking, Harry and Draco glanced at each other. Harry waited till he spotted Ginny glancing at them from the corner of his eye, then he grabbed Draco's hand subtly and they slipped away from the table. Just as Harry suspected, she followed silently behind them to see what they were up to. Harry stopped by the stairs and suddenly wrapped his arms around Draco's neck. The other boy wrapped his arms back around him and the two came in for a deep kiss. Harry made sure to make it passionate and when they broke, Harry smiled up at him and smoothed his hair away from his face.

"Is she still looking?" Harry whispered in his ear.

Draco turned and glanced at the corner of his eye, pretending to pull Harry into a different position.

"Yeah," he responded.

"Alright, just kiss me once more and we'll go back into the room," Harry whispered.

Draco bent down and kissed his passionately, cupping a hand behind Harry's neck. Then when they broke away, Harry smiled and grabbed his hand, leading him back into the other room. When they got there, Ginny hadn't come back, but Harry hoped now that she realized he really was gay.

After all the plates were cleared, everyone sat around for a game of Wizard Snaps. Harry made sure to keep Draco beside him at all times so that they could run into an empty room when it was time for a new potion and also so Draco wouldn't get paired up with Ron. It seemed that Draco was beginning to enjoy himself and it was easier for him to show it (as Lucas) since he was supposed to be pretending to have a good time. However, Harry sensed that he really was. Someday he'd have to tell Draco he knew a bit of Legilmency, but for the time being he was grateful the other boy was experiencing some fun. Ginny came back later to play and didn't say anything about them kissing, but she also didn't roll her eyes as much or make it look like she was angry, so perhaps the kissing scheme had worked.

A little while later Hermione and her family came by. She was ecstatic to meet 'Lucas' and gave him a huge embrace, which Draco offered reluctantly. Harry watched as Hermione gave Remus a hug and then Molly. He saw her turn around in Ron's direction and the other boy glanced down. Then Hermione walked up to him and gave him a brief embrace. Ron patted her back in return. During the greetings, after Harry had hugged her tightly, he and Draco slipped away for the other boy to take his second potion. Then they went back into the room where everyone was conversing.

Draco sat next to him at all times and Harry occasionally whispered something in his ear. It seemed like they were just a couple whispering, but really they had a good reason to whisper.

"Draco," Harry whispered in his ear, "if they ask you anything about yourself again just make it up."

Draco bent down to his ear. "I know."

Harry smiled and then put his lips near the other boy's ear again. "I think it's about time for dinner."

Draco just nodded and Harry pressed his lips completely to the space just below the boy's ear lobe. Draco glanced at him and Harry just smiled.

"Hey you two love-birds! Want to play a bit of Quidditch?" Fred winked.

"After dinner, George," Arthur said, patting his arm.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "It's Fred, dad."

"Er, that's what I said. Fred," Arthur smiled before getting up.

Molly then hurried into the room, wiping her hands on her apron. "Dinner's all ready everyone. Come and eat!"

"Alright!" George exclaimed, apparating out.

"FRED NO APPARATING!" Arthur bellowed.

"Hey! Why not? George did it!" Fred exclaimed, standing right next to him.

Arthur glanced at him surprised and Harry just chuckled quietly. They all went into the dining room and Harry glanced at Hermione who had been unusually quiet that evening. She spotted him and gave him a small smile. At the dinner table, Harry made sure to sit next to Draco. Harry smiled knowingly as Draco's eyes widened at the sight of all the food Molly cooked.

"I know. And she expects you to eat at least three helpings," Harry leaned over and whispered.

Draco glanced at him surprised. "Great. I'm going to get fat too."

Harry just smiled. "Your stomach will feel that way, but the feeling will pass by tomorrow. Besides, you could never get fat."

The other boy glanced at him and Harry smiled coyly. Draco gave him a small smile in return and Harry's stomach fluttered in excitement. Finally, the other boy was opening up even more. Perhaps by tomorrow Draco would be laughing with Ron and the others and enjoying himself like he was among friends. And then maybe he'd give Harry his answer about whether or not they could seriously date—become a true couple in private and public.

During dinner, as everyone piled their plates with steaming hot food, the topic began with work and then drifted to the Quidditch championship. Draco was just as interested to hear how things worked on the inside. Thankfully, no questions were directed at him. However, the conversation soon took a slightly different turn.

"Have you all heard about Lucius Malfoy?" Charlie asked.

Harry's head jerked up and he glanced at Draco who was staring at the other boy in surprise.

"Oh yes, about his sentencing," Arthur nodded.

"What's his sentence? The Demenor's Kiss?" Ron asked eagerly.

"No, Ron. It seems that Lucius again managed to slip through authorities and he's getting House Arrest. There's still one more small trial he needs to go through to get it, but odds are he will," Arthur explained.

Molly clucked her tongue. "It's ridiculous. With all that evidence there that he was serving you-know-who and committed murder and everything…It just makes me ill to think that there are others like him in the world that haven't even been caught."

Draco chewed his food more than necessary and Harry glanced at him to make sure he was doing alright.

"So what does House Arrest mean exactly?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Ah well, it means that he and his wife will live in a house charmed so that they can't apparate out of it. And their magic will be on radar at all times. Not to mention their house will be searched up and down and there will always be a Ministry member or two watching them. If they want to leave the house, they have to contact the Ministry and tell them where they're going. Then the Ministry will have to take their wands and escort them to wherever they need to go. And I believe the sentencing looks like it'll be for twenty years. Lucius was trying to get only five or six years, but there's no chance of that happening," Arthur shook his head.

Ron glanced at his father. "What about Draco Malfoy? Aren't they going to watch him too?"

This time Draco's head jerked toward the red-head and Harry swallowed thickly.

"They don't have to Ron. They questioned him with Veritaserum right after the war ended and found that he had only joined because his father forced him to," Arthur said.

Draco glanced down at his plate and Harry snuck a hand toward his under the table. Gently, he squeezed the other boy's hand and Draco gazed at him looking a bit forlorn.

"Not to mention he didn't even have the Dark Mark. Of course, he's too young anyway," Arthur continued.

"Yeah, but he's at Harry's school now," Ron spoke up and Harry glanced at him.

All eyes turned to Harry, but he just shrugged. "Actually, he hasn't been bothering me at all. In fact, he hasn't been a problem whatsoever."

"Still, his whole family has a history of being Death Eaters—murderers! Just because he didn't have the guts to kill Dumbledore doesn't mean he won't try it on you!" Ron exclaimed.

Draco clenched Harry's hand so tightly Harry choked on his drink.

"Harry, you alright?" Remus asked, concerned.

"Yeah…er, went down the wrong pipe," he said, forcing a smile.

With his other hand he gently grasped Draco's hand and got him to let go of his death-grip. The other boy didn't even look at him. He was staring down at his plate, obviously trying not to show his anger.

"That's true," Ginny spoke up. "I mean, Harry he could easily slip poison into your drink or find out where you sleep at night."

"I'm not worried about that. He doesn't seem like his father at all," Harry said, glancing at Draco who didn't look up.

"Still, maybe you should be careful," Molly said gently. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Er, yeah. Can we not talk about this anymore?" Harry asked.

"Harry's right. This is a festive occasion," Remus smiled. "Let's talk about cheerful things."

Harry inwardly sighed with relief as the topic changed once more. He glanced down at Draco, however, who continued to eat in silence with his eyes cast down on his plate. Harry feared that perhaps the damage had already been done. He reached beneath the table again to find Draco's hand, but the boy pulled away from him. Harry stared at him momentarily with a sympathetic expression, but finally just continued eating in silence as well.

After dinner, Molly began clearing away the plates with her wand. "Everyone stay there. Dessert will be on its way in a little bit."

"Excuse me," Draco said, getting up.

He left the table and Harry immediately stood up. "Er, I'm going to go for a minute too."

"Is everything alright?" Remus asked, as all eyes gazed at Harry.

"Er, yeah, it's just…his grandpa," Harry said quickly. "His grandpa's not doing so well and his family said they'd send an owl if anything happened."

"Oh, how sad," Tonks stated.

"I'll be right back," Harry nodded, slipping from the room.

Once he was away from any eyes, Harry hurried to find Draco. He found the other boy by the door where they had left their things.

"Dr…Lucas?" Harry said quietly.

The other boy wheeled around and Harry saw the anger in his expression.

"I'm not staying here another second!" he exclaimed.

"Shh, let's talk in here," Harry whispered, pointing to a room.

Draco stomped into the room and once they were both inside, Harry put a silencing charm around the entire area.

"Draco, I'm so sorry. They don't know what you're like now. They think you're like your father, but they don't know you."

"I don't care, Potter!" Draco snarled. "It's not like I want to know them either! I'm not staying here with them!"  
"Draco please, just a little longer. If they start talking about it again, we'll change the subj—"

"NO!" Draco seethed, glaring at him. "I won't sit there and smile as they insult me, Potter! I don't care if they know me or not! I don't care what they think of me! And I should have never agreed to this stupid idea!"

"Draco, just calm down. If only they could get to know you—the real you," Harry offered.

"Never, Potter! I never want them to know it's me! I don't want them to get to know me!" Draco exclaimed angrily.

"Draco…they'll have to know eventually. We can't keep doing Polyjuice potion," Harry said.

The other boy stared at him with narrowed eyes and took in a deep breath. "You're right, Potter," he drawled. "We can't keep doing the potion. So why don't we just stop this now!"

Harry's eyes widened, a bit taken aback. "Wait, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying to stop what we're doing!" Draco gestured between them. "We both know it's just a fling—it'll never work out! You're you and I'm me, Potter! Do you understand? If they ever were to find out it was me they'd think I cast some sort of love spell on you or something! And frankly, I don't want to deal with them anyway."

"You want to break this off?" Harry asked, raising his voice. "After everything? Draco, how can you say that? We were doing so well! You were even enjoying yourself!"

"Potter! This is getting us no where anyway!" Draco exclaimed furiously. "And you know it!"

"NO! That's not true!" Harry bellowed, thankful for the silencing charm. "I worked so hard to get you to open up, Draco! Just a while ago you were acting like the real you! Instead of that cold, hard-headed person that hides how you truly feel! I've gotten to know you, Draco. And I know that this has been working out! Yes, it takes time but you know what? I've been doing all the work!"

"Oh really?" Draco drawled, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm the one who was man enough to admit I liked you while you still cowered away, using your sarcasm to hide your feelings!" Harry shouted. "And I was the one who initiated the kiss! I was the one who didn't ignore the fact that we had had sex! And I tried to be nice to you, to understand you and to make you feel like you could trust me! I did _everything_! So fine! Just run away and hide again, like always!"

"Fine! I will!" Draco exclaimed as he suddenly apparated, vanishing from his spot.

Harry stared at the place that he should've been, feeling anger and hurt combined. Finally, he stomped from the room and into the hall. He tried to calm himself down before entering the dining roo.

"There you are, Harry. Dessert is ready," Molly smiled. "Where's Lucas?"

"Er…he had to leave suddenly because of his sick grandpa."

"Oh no! Is his grandpa alright?" Tonks gasped.

Harry shrugged. "I think so. Lucas seemed a bit upset so he had to go."

"Well, I'm glad you managed to make an appearance despite his poor grandpa," Molly said, nodding sadly.

Harry managed a small smile and began eating dessert quietly. He hardly spoke at all. In fact, as the topic of Quidditch came up again Harry had to excuse himself. He felt this pang in his chest and he knew it was from the fact that he and Draco had fought. It was strange how they hadn't gotten into a real fight ever since Harry realized he liked the blond. As Harry walked into the hall he saw Hermione sitting on the bottom step.

"Hermione?"

She glanced up at him and wiped at her eyes. "Harry? Oh, hi. Sorry, I was just coming down from the bathroom."

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, noticing that she seemed upset.

Sighing heavily, Hermione shook her head. "I have something to tell you."

"I have something to tell you too," Harry said quickly. "Let's go into this room?"

Harry gestured to the room where he and Draco had fought and Hermione nodded. The silencing charm was till on it so they'd have privacy. Once inside, Hermione sat down in a chair and Harry sat across from her.

"You go first," Harry offered.

"Harry, I think…," she hesitated. "I think Ron and I are going to break up."

Harry blinked a bit surprised and then nodded. "Is that why you were so quiet?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about it. I mean, things with us were alright, you know? Honestly, it wasn't that different from being friends except for the occasional kissing. And well…we got into a fight. I mean, we've gotten into many arguments, you know, because he's so stubborn," she smiled sadly.

"Yeah, I know how that feels," Harry grumbled. "Was it about the sorcery thing?"

"Well, that was just a little argument before. I mean, Ron gets so jealous easily and sometimes he says stupid things. But I mean, I thought it would work out because we were friends before but it seems like he's a bit different as a boyfriend. I feel like he's a bit inconsiderate to my feelings. He wants me to be happy, but he's got a sense of pride that he has to be smarter and stronger than the girl he's dating and taking care of, you know? And we've fought about many little things, but he was still upset about the sorcery thing. He told me it was his duty to be the man or whatever and I understand he wants to be the "breadwinner" so-to-speak, but I'm not like Molly. I can't be a house-wife. I don't want to have seven or eight kids. And well…

"Then I sort of told him he was a bad kisser. And he blew up," Hermione shook her head. "He got so mad he told me we should just break it off completely because I'm supposedly better than he is."

Harry shook his head. "He's just upset. But you know…it sounds like maybe it's for the best. I've seen you two argue constantly. At first I thought it was just because you both truly liked each other, but maybe it's just your personalities clashing. Ron can be very stubborn at times and a little inconsiderate when he feels jealous. Trust me, I remember that from our forth year."

Hermione inhaled sharply. "You're probably right, Harry. I feel like I want to break if off anyway. He already said we should so now all I have to do is agree to it. But…well, I always thought you and Ron were the only people who truly understood me," Hermione glanced down at her hands.

"That's not true. You just have to find someone understanding, Hermione," Harry said, clasping her hands. "Wait! I have the perfect person for you."

Hermione glanced up and wiped at her eyes. "Really? Is it someone from school?"

"Yes! Lucas!"

Hermione's eyes widened considerably. "Harry, you want to set me up with your _boyfriend_?"

"No!" Harry exclaimed, sighing heavily. "Lucas isn't really my boyfriend, Hermione. That's what I have to tell you. Lucas and I, in reality, are just friends. Lucas is straight anyway."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But…"

"That wasn't really Lucas," Harry said softly. "It was Polyjuice potion."

"Polyjuice potion?" Hermione gasped. "But…why?"

"Because I asked Lucas to pretend to be my boyfriend to convince Ginny that I really was gay since she wouldn't give me up!" Harry exclaimed, sitting next to her in the large chair. "And since Ginny thought Lucas was my boyfriend, it would look too strange to bring someone else. Especially since that someone else is…well, it was Malfoy."

Hermione's mouth dropped open instantly. "As in Draco Malfoy? That was him?"

Harry nodded. "Er, yeah. He's changed though, Hermione. He's not the mean, arrogant…well, he hides behind that front. Once you really get to know him, he's a nice guy. And I could tell he liked me back. He agreed to be my boyfriend, after all, but…we sort of got into a fight because of where the discussion led us at dinner."

Hermione clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh gosh! That's right. He must be upset."

"He is! And I know you guys can't imagine him being nice, but…I really liked him Hermione. In fact, I think…I think I might've more than _liked_ him."

Hermione stared at him and then gently placed her hand on his. "Harry, it's your choice who you date. I honestly can't imagine a nice Malfoy, but I believe you. And it seems like you really do care for him, right?"

Harry nodded silently. "Yeah, but I was doing all the work. I was the one who admitted to liking him first and I could tell Draco had some sort of attraction to me, especially after we…er, you know," he said as Hermione blushed and nodded. "And…I was always trying to be the one to start up friendly conversations and show him that he can trust me and that it's okay to like one another…"

Hermione pulled him into a hug. "Harry, listen to me. If he truly likes you back then he'll come back to you. If you've been doing all or most of the work, you have to let it go. You have to wait for him to come to you. Perhaps that's the only way to tell if he truly likes you back. And I'm sure once Draco realizes you're not going to be the one to come to him and patch everything up like you normally do, then it'll be up to him to decide."

Harry smiled softly and nodded. "Thanks Hermione. And I really do think you and Lucas, the real one, would be a great match. If you want to, we can all meet up some time so I can introduce you."

Hermione blushed and looked down. "Well…that would be nice. I mean, he is very attractive."

"Yeah and he's the sweetest guy I've ever met," Harry smiled.

Hermione hugged him again tightly. "Thanks Harry. I'm so glad we're friends."

"Me too," Harry smiled again. "Why don't you go in and talk to Ron about remaining friends. Just get it out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of Christmas. I'll be right there."

Hermione nodded and adjusted her dress before leaving. Harry walked slowly out into the hall and opened his trunk. He found the presents he had gotten for Draco and he sighed heavily. Then he stood up and went to go search for Ron's bird—Pig. Harry found him upstairs in the attic and used him to deliver the gifts. He didn't want Draco to be alone without gifts on Christmas. And hopefully the other boy truly liked him in return.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Pixie9: **Lol! Yes, Draco's still stubborn, but this is his test! And it would be too OOC if he were smoochy, lol!

**Kari-Sama: **Lol! He's definitely no 'ray of sunshine', but he is improving. And now this is the test of love!

**Goddess Bless: **Oh, lol! That's alright. Glad you're liking this still! Hehe!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Lol! Oh yes indeed…Harry has such dilemmas!

**Evil Ball of Fluff: **Lol! Oh good, I'm glad you're still liking this! Unfortunately, Ron won't know about Draco…not yet anyway. Hehe!

**xoxo-loza-xoxo: **Thank you for that! Actually, the website I use for Harry Potter information, such as potions, magic, etc. is the Harry Potter Lexicon. And since I forgot exactly how Quidditch worked, I got the information from that site. But I think I remember it being 150 like you said. Thanks, I'll have to fix that later.

**wIthOUt A nAmE**Lol! No, you did review, I went back and put your name in that chapter! I'm glad you still like seeing your name, hehe!

**MoonlightGoddess08: **Oh, thank you! That makes me feel better that you enjoyed the prologue. I didn't want to jump into the school immediately so I'm really glad to hear that. Thanks!

**Rita In Wonderland: **Hehe! Yeah, don't worry I promise Draco will get nicer. Trust me! And I'm sorry he didn't wear a Weasley sweater, but it was sort of last minute that Draco decided to go. Lol! I'll continue to update quickly!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Don't worry, Draco will come around! He won't call him Potter forever! Hehe!

**Branwen777: **Aw, thank you! I'm glad it's realistic still! Unfortunately, it is a slow process, lol!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight: **Lol! Yes, dear Harry is so cunning to get Draco to reluctantly agree, isn't he? Tehehe!

**Walking Through Shadows (Ash): **I'm very glad you decided to review, thanks for your input! And I'm extremely glad you're liking this still! Lol! Yes, I thought Tavis was an amusing character too. Haha, I'm glad you like him!

**Gbheart: **Oh yes, Harry definitely has the patience of a saint…well, as close to one as anybody can get anyway. Now, it's Draco's turn, lol!

**Smurff: **Yep, you're right! Harry's being a little too patient and now it's Draco's turn! Hehe! Aw, thanks for that! I'm glad my quick updates keep you interested!

**Sinful Sakura: **I'm so glad you like it! I shall continue to update quickly!

**The Earth Mystic: **Yep, I completely agree! Harry's been doing too much of the work. Now it's Draco's turn! Haha! Oh, well I was sort of going day by day then week by week, so that's why it was moving slowly. But now it's Christmas so several months have passed! Hehe! Sorry I didn't put Halloween in here. It wasn't that important. From what I know, the UK doesn't celebrate it like America does, lol! It's probably not as big of a deal there. But now comes the test of love! Hehe!

**Auctoritas: **Thanks for your feedback! You're right, the Quibbler does put a lot of junk in it and weird articles, but since Luna's dad put that article about Harry revealing Voldemort's return, I figure it probably has changed a bit since then. So I figured if Harry asked to put an article in it, Luna's dad would agree. Lol! Oh, well the information I got from Quidditch (since I didn't remember much of how the game was played) was from the Harry Potter Lexicon. I'm glad you liked jealous-Ginny, lol! Thanks again!

**Tiger Eye2: **Ah yes, drama is inevitable, isn't it? Lol!

**Chosen-one4: **Hehe! Yep, Draco's coming around..and now it's up to him! Sorry that you didn't get to see Ron's reaction to the truth…not yet anyway.

**Cynic387: **I'm glad you like it so far! Hope those chapters don't die on you again, lol!

**Discombobulatedperson**Lol! How true! Harry's having a rough time, isn't he? But now it's up to Draco! Hehe!

**Ghosthly-Shadow: **Lol! Glad you're liking the sex, hehe! There is more to come! Of course it's not entirely based on sex, but it is a nice plus!


	19. Retribution

**Captivation**

**_Warning:_ _Sexual content in this chapter._**

**Chapter 18: Retribution**

The next morning Harry was woken up by an eager Ron. Although he wanted to enjoy the festivities of the holiday, he still felt a pang in his chest when he thought about Draco. He desperately wanted to go see if the blond was back at the school and try to work things out but Hermione had been right—he had to wait for Draco this time. He hoped the blond truly had feelings for him. Hopefully, Draco had gotten his presents already. Harry remembered he only attached a simple card to the two presents he sent the blond:

_Merry Christmas, Draco. _

_Take Care,_

_Harry_

It hurt to think that Draco was spending the holidays alone, but he hadn't come back. And Harry didn't blame him. He knew it was because he had gotten upset, but Harry was still angry that he seemed to be the one trying so hard to make things work between them. He bet anything Draco just let him because if the blond had helped then he would've had to give up his whole family and his attitude and admit he had feelings for Harry. That was probably going to be the hardest thing for Draco to do. If the blond cared for him—truly cared for him—he would come back to him.

Harry followed Ron downstairs to the sitting area where Hermione, Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Molly and Arthur were. Hermione had slept over and Remus and Tonks were coming over to open gifts with them. The piles had already been separated and Harry saw his next to Ron's. As they waited for Remus and Nymphadora to come, Harry looked through his gifts. He felt another pang in his chest when he realized that Draco hadn't left anything for him. Then again, Harry reminded himself that if the blond had been carrying it he had left too quickly to give it to him. He tried to keep his thoughts positive—that when he got back to school Draco would have cooled off and would come to him with an apology.

It didn't take long for Remus and Nymphadora to come. Harry had to smile at the short red and green sparkly hair Nymphadora had morphed onto herself. Harry thought they were a cute couple. And being since Nymphadora was Sirius' cousin, she had probably helped Remus get through another of his best friend's death. Harry hated keeping something from the older man, especially since Remus was just as important to him as Sirius had been. So as Ginny began opening her presents (since the youngest always went first as tradition), Harry walked over and sat by Remus.

The older man turned and smiled at him, placing his hand on Harry's head. Everyone else was distracted by watching Ginny, so Harry decided it was time to tell him.

"Remus, there's something I have to tell you," Harry said quietly.

Remus blinked down at him in concern. "What is it?"

"You know Lucas? Well…he and I are really just friends. You see…I couldn't bring my actual boyfriend because, well…you all wouldn't approve," Harry said, casting his eyes downward.

Remus shook his head and put his hand back on his head. "Harry, you don't have to be ashamed of anyone. We all trust your judgment."

Harry glanced up at him nervously. "Even if my boyfriend was Draco Malfoy?"

Remus dropped his hand from Harry's head in surprise, nearly dropping the cup of tea in his other hand.

"Harry…wait, Draco Malfoy?"

"I knew you wouldn't approve," Harry said glumly. "I know no body thinks he can be nice, but he can. And he was to me."

"Harry, I didn't lie about trusting your judgment, but you still have to be careful. Don't let love or desire blind you; it's nice to feel a connection, but you have to remember the sort of family he comes from," Remus said softly.

"I know, but he's not like his family, Remus. He doesn't have the dark mark, and he was forced into it by his father, whom he doesn't like. And he was a really good boyfriend," Harry said, furrowing his eyebrows sadly.

Remus blinked. "Was? Do you mean you broke up with him?"

Harry sighed as Molly squealed in delight at the beautiful dress Hermione got Ginny. "Not exactly. You see…my real friend Lucas couldn't come to pretend to be my boyfriend. So, Draco did…with Polyjuice potion…"

"Poly…Harry, that stuff is illegal," Remus said, lowering his voice.

"But he did it for me!" Harry exclaimed. "I wanted to spend the holidays with him and no body would've treated him nicely! They all would've thought he put me under a love potion, which isn't true! And he disguised himself for me…so we could be together. But, he got upset when everyone started talking about him negatively at dinner and I don't blame him. Now, I just don't know if he'll come back or not…I mean, it took me so long to get past his defenses, Remus. And once you do, you see he has a good heart. He just grew up in a dark, unloving family. I bet he never even had a true friend before me."

"You really like him, don't you?" Remus sighed, stirring his tea.

Harry nodded. "Yeah…I know he's a good person. Remember, I'm partially a Legilmen, so I can sense it. He doesn't want to hurt me and he even agreed to be my boyfriend. I know he has some feeling for me, but whether or not he truly cares about me I'm not sure. Hermione told me to wait for him to come to me."

Remus nodded slowly. "Yes, that would be the thing to do. I wish I could say I completely believe you about him, but until I see it…"

"I know. One day soon you can meet the real Draco, if he comes back," Harry shrugged.

"Harry, come on!" Hermione exclaimed, waving him over.

Smiling reluctantly, Harry went over to join his friends. The three of them began opening presents at once. Harry got many great gifts and he temporarily forgot about his worries concerning Draco. As he ate truffle cake with raspberry syrup and drank hot pumpkin-spice, he began enjoying the holidays. Once the presents were finished, however, his thoughts strayed to the blond again and he wanted so desperately to go get him or to make sure he was alright. He held back the urge and managed to have a fairly good time, despite his concern, up to the Christmas dinner. Harry played some games afterward, but decided to go to bed early. He said goodbye to Remus and Tonks and the older man promised to check up on him by owl. Harry could tell Remus was concerned about his choice for a boyfriend, but he didn't say anything more about it.

The next morning, Harry said his goodbyes to his friends and took the train back to school. He got there in time for the end of breakfast and he went to his first class. Draco wasn't there and Harry's chest immediately tightened. He was so afraid maybe the blond had gone back to his parents. Had he been so upset that he completely closed up again and went to make a deal with his mom? Harry was nervous and upset that he could hardly eat at lunch or even dinner when he didn't see the blond at either.

His heart was beating so furiously and his stomach was queasy with anxiety as he raced to Quidditch practice early (since their last match was that evening). Harry reached the field and began desperately searching for the blond. If Draco wasn't at practice then perhaps the blond had left the school entirely. As Harry literally felt his stomach churn violently, he turned to see a head a familiar blond hair. He couldn't describe the relief that flooded through him, easing the nausea in his stomach.

Draco walked up onto the field and Harry averted his eyes. Now that he was sure Draco hadn't left, it was up to him to remain passive and let the blond come to him. And if he didn't…well, Harry didn't know what to do if that were to happen. Both Hermione and Remus would most likely suggest he move on, but that wouldn't be easy at all.

"Alright team, our final match is here!" Captain Murdoch said, smiling at them. "I think you're all ready. I know we had the two day holiday where we didn't get to practice much, but we have an hour until the Indonesian team gets here. So let's run through our strategy a couple more times."

She blew her whistle and everyone soared into the air. It was difficult, but Harry managed to keep his eyes from straying to Draco. They went through their techniques and Harry forced himself to focus. When the Indonesian school's team came, Harry let his mind-set go straight into the game. Unfortunately, the other team's techniques were quite unexpected. The team's Seeker just about won the game in the first ten minutes. If Harry hadn't had a fast broom (or if he hadn't used a technique he learned from the Japanese team) he wouldn't have been able to spin his broom and scare the snitch off.

And with his thoughts on the blond and if he would come to him at all, it was difficult to concentrate on the game. One of the other team's beaters caught sight of him heading to the snitch later and somehow made the bludger whack right into one of the goalposts and bounce off. Harry was so focused on slipping his fingers around the snitch that he didn't see it coming until it was only ten feet away. Harry's eyes widened and he somehow, out of luck, wheeled his broom around. The end of the broom caught the bludger and pelted it in another direction.

Sighing with relief, Harry turned his head around and saw that Draco was looking in his direction. The blond, however, turned back to the game and began chasing after the other team's Chaser. Harry got even more determined as the game went on. Harry and the Indonesian team's Seeker dove for the snitch at the same time and unfortunately the other Seeker was closer to it.

Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Liam whack a bludger at the other team's Seeker. The other Seeker heard it pelting toward him and rose up just a bit to miss it and that gave Harry enough time to swoop in and snatch the snitch. The Indonesian team's Seeker was so close since he had reached out a split second after raising up to miss the bludger and his hand caught Harry's, but already he had gotten the snitch first.

The second they won, Harry breathed out heavily. It had been challenging but they had won the third game for the semester, which meant a small trophy and a huge party. From what he learned, if they won a trophy each semester, by the end of the year they'd get a much bigger trophy. And since they had been winning almost two years straight, if they won for the next three years while Harry was there, the school would get rewarded a humungous glittering trophy (which was what Niall desperately was hoping for). The party was to be the next night starting right at dinner and probably going pretty late.

After the game and shaking hands with the Indonesian team, Harry searched out for Draco, hoping the other boy would talk to him or initiate something, but he couldn't find him. He even went in to take a shower and he wasn't there. By the time he got back in his room and slumped on his bed he was feeling rather down. Perhaps Draco had decided that their relationship wasn't worth it. Maybe the blond really thought it had just been a fling. All these doubts swirled in his mind, making it very difficult for him to sleep.

By next morning, Harry went to class per usual to see that Draco was there this time. Harry made sure to watch the professor at all times, even though he desperately wanted to know if the blond was ever going to speak to him again. Harry hung out with Lucas and told him about what happened and the other boy also suggested he just wait it out. If Draco really liked him, he would come to him.

Harry dressed up a bit for the celebration. He went with Lucas, meeting Tavis and the others in the dining hall. Niall had most of the dining tables removed, but left a couple for food, drinks and sweets. There was pumpkin-spice punch, some sort of blue punch (that Harry could've sworn gurgled at him), regular butterbeer. Then there was a table full of crisp, fried meat, fried noodles and other things. The dessert table was a big hit as well, especially with the chocolate-frog crisps, which were like the chocolate frog candies only frozen after being dipped in a sweet sauce.

Despite the cheerful atmosphere with the dancing, eating and celebrating their Quidditch semester victory, Harry sat down on one of the plush couches and watched everyone dance. Lucas came over once to ask him to join in, but he knew Harry was feeling down about Draco.

"I'm alright, really," Harry protested with a reluctantly smile.

Lucas gave him a contemplative look and then bent down to give him a brief hug. "Hey, if it doesn't work out I'll take you out for ice cream or something to cheer you up."

"Thanks," Harry said sincerely. "Oh Lucas?"

The other boy sat down next to him. "What is it?"

"I want you meet someone—a very special lady friend of mine," Harry said gently. "She recently broke up with her last boyfriend, who was her good friend too, but she's looking forward to meeting you."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Really? And you've known her for a while?"

"Ever since we were eleven. She's a sweetheart, like you, she's brilliant and she wants to study sorcery. Plus, she's very pretty and I think you two might get along great. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but at least meet her."

Lucas laughed softly. "Alright, Harry since you're so eager. Is there a certain time?"

"I'll owl Hermione and see if she's free this weekend. Then we can all go to Hogsmeade or something and I'll let you two get to know each other," Harry said, tilting his head a bit. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good. I'm not doing anything this weekend. And you're sure you don't want to dance?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sure. Go have fun and I'll let you know if we're on for sure this weekend."

"Okay, Harry."

Lucas stared at him briefly with concern before giving him a small smile and joining the others in dancing. Harry slumped back against the couch and sighed, taking a sip of the blue punch he had. After all that time he spent getting to know the real Draco, opening him up and realizing his feelings for the blond, in just one night it had all been ruined. Harry stared at the people dancing, watching as Tavis dragged Lucas onto the dance floor when no one else would dance with him for the next song. He wanted to join in and he wanted to have fun, but he couldn't.

He turned his head and gazed around the room, searching for a familiar blond. When he didn't see him, Harry took a gulp of his punch and leaned his elbow on the armrest. He saw Captain Muroch and Niall talking and suddenly Niall bowed and held out her hand. He was intrigued by it, watching as Niall led her out to dance that he didn't feel the couch move right away. Someone sat down and Harry didn't turn right away. Looking out on the dance floor he saw that Lucas had disappeared. Sighing, Harry figured Lucas was still concerned about him so he turned to the other boy.

Harry blinked, finding it hard to believe that it wasn't Lucas sitting next to him, but Draco. The blond was sitting at the other end of the couch watching the others dancing with a tired expression. Harry opened his mouth then quickly shut it. If Draco was going to come to him he had to let the other boy initiate it. He stirred his drink somewhat nervously, hoping that Draco wasn't the same cold, lonely boy like in the beginning of the school year. Draco shifted and Harry bit his lip, wondering what was going to happen.

"Here," the blond said suddenly.

Harry lifted up his head as Draco held something out to him. "What's this?"

"A Christmas gift," the blond said, turning away momentarily. "Since you got me something."

"Oh, right," Harry said, hoping that it wasn't just repayment.

Upon opening it, Harry found a gorgeous pendent (kind of like the one he had gotten Draco) only this one had a shimmering lightening bolt hanging from a silver chain. It was completely made out of emeralds, from what Harry could tell.

"Draco, this…it's beautiful," Harry said, awed. "But…I mean these aren't real emeralds are they?" he asked, turning to see the blond shrug.

Harry looked at him puzzled. "How did you afford this?"

Draco didn't answer right away and stared off at the people dancing. "I talked to Niall. You know, about the money situation. He told me my mother already paid for this year so at least you didn't have to pay anything; you won't have to pay for me anyway," he said as Harry glanced at him. "He made a deal with me. He got me a scholarship based on my skills thus far and also gave me a loan. The deal is that I pay him back each month after graduating and it won't be hard if I hopefully go straight onto a professional team. "

"Wow…," Harry said quietly. "That's really nice of him. I bet he doesn't do that for many students."

"No," Draco answered softly, still looking away. "He told me he thinks I have great talent and that it won't be hard for me to get onto a team. Plus, I think he felt sorry for me being disowned and all."

"Is that, erm, why you weren't in class the other day?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yeah, I was with Niall making the deal," Draco shrugged.

"Draco…you didn't have to use some of your scholarship money to repay me," Harry said quietly. "I love it, but it's too expensive."

"It wasn't," the blond said, turning to stare at him. "That was a family heirloom. It was given to me by my mother after graduating from Hogwarts. All I did was use a simple transfiguration spell to change the shape. Besides, your gifts were expensive."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, then."

Draco nodded wordlessly and averted his gaze once again. Harry slipped the chain around his neck and softly touched the pendent. It was smooth and the emeralds glistened even in the dim light. The fact that Draco gave him something passed down in his family made Harry's stomach flutter with hope. The two stared out in silence and Harry wanted to give the blond a kiss in thanks, but he wasn't sure if they were still together or if Draco wanted to continue their relationship.

The blond shifted again and Harry turned to him out of reaction. Draco continued to stare out ahead and Harry felt his shoulders sag a bit in disappointment. He glanced back at where Lucas was chatting with Nicholas and Lina (who apparently got together recently) as Tavis and Ambreen danced quite close together.

"Did you get in trouble when I left?" Draco asked unexpectedly.

Harry turned to him, grateful that he at least started talking. "No, I told them your grandpa was ill and you had to leave. Erm, you didn't…did you spend Christmas alone?"

Draco shrugged again. "I needed some time to myself—to think. I got some presents from my mom."

"You did?" Harry's eyes widened in surprise.

The blond turned to him and snorted. "Yeah, she's just trying to bribe me into coming back to her. So I sent the gifts back to show her I don't need her support or her controlling me any longer."

"Good for you," Harry said, smiling softly.

The blond gazed at him and Harry stared back into his unreadable silver orbs. Suddenly, Harry understood what he needed. It was so hard for Draco to initiate anything and just coming to him like that had been difficult. So Harry had to make an opening.

"Do you want to dance?" Harry asked suddenly.

Draco gazed at him surprised and shrugged. "I don't really like dancing."

"Oh come on," Harry said, grasping the other boy's arm gently. "It'll be fun."

He pulled on his arm softly and Draco reluctantly stood up. Harry managed to lead him out onto the dance floor with the other students who were dancing. Thankfully, it wasn't a slow song so Draco could relax and dance on his own but still nearby. Harry began to have fun, laughing at the way Tavis was trying to show off goofy moves to Ambreen. Draco was nearby him the whole time joining in reluctantly at first.

Once a slow song came on, however, Harry didn't want to make Draco nervous or uncomfortable so he asked him if he'd come with him to the drinks table. They walked over to the table.

"You know, this blue punch is pretty good. I just wish I knew what was in it," Harry said, eyeing it as it gurgled again. "Did you hear that?"

Draco nodded and eyed it. "I don't drink anything that makes noises."

Harry gave him an amused look. "Oh come on, just try some. You've eaten chocolate frogs before haven't you?"

The blond crinkled his nose at the drink, but he took Harry's cup and tried a sip. Then he shrugged after he handed it back.

"It's alright."

Harry just shook his head and smiled. "Okay, well what would you like?"

Before Draco could decide, however, one of the chocolate frog crisps made an escape and landed in one of the punch bowls, spraying droplets onto the blond.

"Damnit!" Draco cursed, glaring at the chocolate frog.

Harry couldn't help but smile in amusement as he grabbed some napkins. "Here, let me help you."

He approached the blond and with the napkin pressed a hand to his stomach. Draco glanced at him with an unreadable expression, but Harry tried not to lock their eyes as he began patting him dry. It was only when he passed over Draco's chest did he feel something beneath his shirt. Harry moved the collar aside a bit and saw that the blond was wearing a necklace. Without thinking, Harry reached out and gently pulled the chain upward. A familiar pendent glimmered in the light and Harry nearly gasped with both surprise and excitement as he saw Draco was wearing the pendent he bought for him.

Harry glanced up at him and Draco glanced down at the pendent. "It looks good on you."

He continued to wipe at the punch stains on the blond's silk shirt before he threw the wet napkins away. Draco would obviously have to use some magical detergent in order to get the stains out. The blond gazed at him and Harry tried not to let his urges get the better of him. They were only half a foot apart now.

"Oh, and it has a protection charm on it too," Harry said softly after a second's hesitation. "Of course it's not advanced or anything, but it'll help."

Draco was staring at him and Harry gazed up at him, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, the blond began to lean forward and Harry's heart nearly jolted out of his chest. He didn't move, however, he just let the blond initiate everything. To make it easier, Harry closed his eyes as Draco came within centimeters and soon their lips pressed together. Surprisingly, Draco reached up a hand around the back of Harry's neck and pulled him closer. Harry reacted by wrapping his arms around the blond's neck, relishing in the warm, tender kiss.

When they broke apart, Draco was looking a bit flushed and nervous. An upbeat song began playing and Harry smiled.

"Let's dance," he said, pulling Draco along.

The blond followed a bit reluctantly and they came out onto the dance floor into the crowd. Harry then pushed his back flush against Draco's body and grasped the boy's arms, winding them around his own waist. Then he began moving to the fast rhythm, crushed up against the blond's front. Draco began moving with him and soon the two of them became lost in the beat.

As the song played out and another one began, Harry rubbed himself up against the blond, moving his hips so his rear touched Draco's private area. The blond's fingers moved to grip his hip as the two of them continued to move, pressed up against one another. Harry let one of his arms trail upward to around the other boy's neck. Draco was breathing heavily by his ear and Harry continued to dance, not caring that they were so close in front of the other students. Most people knew they were dating anyway and while some people felt uncomfortable around gays, they normally kept it to themselves. And Harry wasn't sure if that was because he was famous or if they just didn't want to say anything.

The more Harry moved, pushing his rear up against the blond, the more Draco became aroused. Harry could feel his hardening erection and he smiled to himself. His own body was reacting quickly, having missed the blond's touch. Glancing over at Tavis and Ambreen, he saw the girl was doing the same thing, pushing her body up against his and Tavis rocked back against her. It was erotic dancing and Harry was grateful that Draco didn't protest to the dancing because he was very much enjoying it. Especially since he was sure Draco still wanted to date.

Harry inwardly groaned as he felt the blond's erection move against him. The song ended and everyone stopped dancing. Draco stopped moving and Harry turned around in the embrace. He wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck and leaned up for a kiss. Once their lips detached, Harry gazed into the blond's eyes and he knew the other boy was thinking the same thing as he was. Harry tugged at his arm to signal that they should leave and Draco followed him through the crowd.

They reached the door and slipped out without notice and immediately the two began walking fast. Draco reached out to grasp his arm and he led him toward his room. They got inside the common room and to Draco's room door within five minutes and the blond tapped his wand to open it. Once they were inside, Harry kicked the door shut and they each met half-way for a kiss. Draco's fingers slid beneath his shirt as their tongues caressed and Harry let out a moan. In response, his fingers slid through Draco's hair as their kiss deepened even more.

Harry broke away to use his wand and he stripped himself of all his clothing. Draco followed suit and when he reached for the necklace, Harry stopped him.

"It's okay, leave it on," Harry smiled.

The two of them were only clad in each other's pendants now and Harry saw Draco's eyes glisten in the dark. They moved in sync toward one another and Draco was the one who directed him toward the bed. The other boy was already hard because of their dancing and Harry was ready too, but as Draco led him over to the bed to get on top of him, Harry broke the kiss.

"Can you use the lubrication spell on me?" Harry asked as they both sat on the bed.

"Now?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry nodded so the blond summoned his wand and placed it at his entrance, muttering the incantation. Then Harry wasted no time in moving forward and pushing his body against the blond's.

"Lie down," Harry whispered breathlessly, once their lips came apart.

Draco stared up at him and through the dark with his bangs messily over his eyes he looked irresistible. The blond lay down on the bed and Harry bent over him to kiss him. Then he bent both legs on either side of the other boy's hips. Draco watched him, breathing rapidly, as Harry placed his hands on either side of his head. Although he was more experienced with sex, because of Draco, Harry still wasn't sure about other positions. He remembered at one point Dean bragged about being ridden by his girlfriend (right before N.E.W.T.s) and Harry wasn't positive how it should be done but he had a good idea.

Harry spread his bent legs and glanced down at the other boy's erection. Then he positioned his entrance over it and began easing down. Draco suddenly lashed out and gripped his hips, arching upward as the tip of his penis began slipping inside. Harry groaned, arching his own back as he continued to bring his hips down. The other boy groaned with him deeply and once the blond was fully inside of him Harry rolled his hips forward. The two of them let out breathless moans and Harry began rocking back and forth, feeling his whole body flood with ecstasy.

As Harry moved on top of him, panting and groaning breathlessly, Draco spread his legs even more and began rolling his hips with him. The blond had his head tilted back in pleasure and was squeezing Harry's hips rather harshly.

"_Merlin_!" Draco groaned loudly, thrusting upward with him.

His thrust caused a deeper penetration and Harry let out a shout of pleasure, not caring how loud he was. Harry leaned forward and kept his hands on either side of Draco's head. His fingers squeezed the sheets as he rocked forward with more force, rolling his hips as the blond thrust upward again. The two groaned and panted loudly, each making more noise than they ever had during sex. Whether it was because they had been separated for a short time or just because of the change in position didn't matter.

"_Yes_! God…Ughhhh…," Harry groaned as he continued to rock on top of the blond's erection.

Draco gasped and then moaned as he rolled his hips again. Harry rode him out for a while longer before he found his release. No more than a minute later, Draco squeezed his eyes shut as his hips arched up off the bed, thrusting inside of him once more. Harry felt the other boy's release inside of him and groaned deeply, arching his back until the blond finished. Gasping for breath, Harry lifted his hips, releasing the blond's limp penis and then rolled off of him. Draco grabbed his wand from his bureau and waved it lazily, cleaning up the mess before laying back down.

"So, I take it this means we're back together," Harry breathed heavily, glancing at Draco who stared back at him.

"Yeah," the blond said, breathing deeply. "Look, I'm…you know, sorry for running off like that."

"Draco, it's completely understandable," Harry said, scooting closer so he could lay a hand on the blond's chest. "I would too if someone started saying bad things about me."

Draco glanced at him and then nodded. "Thanks for the broom."

Harry just smiled and reached his hand up to brush the other boy's sweaty bangs back. "You're welcome. And you know, Draco, sometime we'll have to come out to everyone. I mean, to Ron and…well, Hermione knows."

Unexpectedly, Draco's eyebrows shot up. "She _knows_?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. She didn't really freak out. I mean, she's surprised but…I think she'd like to see you. The real you, I mean," Harry smiled, trailing his hand back down his chest.

Draco sighed deeply. "She better not tell the Weasel. He might go insane and try to set me on fire or something."

Harry laughed softly and gazed at him. "Or he might have a heart-attack."

The blond glanced at him. "In that case we should tell him as soon as possible."

Grinning, Harry pressed a kiss to Draco's cheek. "Thought you'd see it my way. Maybe not right away, but soon. And I'm really glad you got the scholarship. I know you don't really like depending on other people for help."

Draco shrugged. "It's better this way anyway. Some time soon I have to start saving money in my own vault anyway."

"True," Harry said, scooting up so he could lean his head up against Draco's. "So, will you tell me how many girls you've slept with now?"

Snorting, Draco turned his head very slightly to gaze at him (since their heads were right against one another's). "Only one."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Unfortunately, Pansy," Draco drawled, crinkling his nose in remembrance. "Despite her non-existent beauty and cruel attitude, she came into the Slytherin boys' dorm drunk one night and woke me up. I tried to get her to go away because I was exhausted, but she wouldn't hear it. I ignored her for a bit and tried to go back to sleep, but I heard her close my curtains shut and when I opened my eyes she was casting a silencing charm. Next thing I know she started to strip off her clothes and despite the fact that I wasn't really interested in her, it's hard for a fourteen year old boy not to get aroused when a girl's offering herself like that."

"You were fourteen?" Harry asked, surprised. "That's really young."

"Yeah," Draco said, glancing at him. "And trust me, it wasn't the best experience. If you think what Ginny did to you was bad, you wouldn't have wanted to be me," Draco drawled. "Pansy wanted me since second year, maybe even first, but she gets on top of me and before she even gets my clothes off she climaxes on me. It gets on my shirt and my arms."

"Ugh!" Harry made a face.

"Oh, it gets better," Draco drawled, shifting and Harry kept his body pressed up against his. "Then she just smiles at me, while I'm laying there looking disgusted, and she doesn't even pull my pants down. She just pulls the zipper down, yanks out my partial erection and clumsily sticks it into her vagina. Then because she's so drunk she can't even move properly so it wasn't even that pleasurable. I didn't even climax, but she did again.

"And after that she thought we were an item and even though we weren't dating she scared off any girl who came within five feet of me. Then during fifth year when I was a Prefect she tried sneaking into the Prefect's bathroom when I was in there. I think it was sixth year when she asked me to go out with her. At first I declined so she decided to lure me out to the girls' bathroom, saying she saw something incredible in there. That's where she gave me a blow-job. I guess it was better than her intercourse attempt, but still…," Draco shook his head. "She was unbelievable. And I reluctantly agreed to be her boyfriend through sixth year, but after that I just couldn't stand her."

"Sounds dreadful," Harry said, caressing Draco's stomach and chest.

"MmHmm," Draco agreed.

Harry pressed his lips to Draco's neck, kissing it before leaning further down and sucking on particular space under his jaw. The blond made a sound—like a sigh and Harry smiled. Then his lips traveled up the side of Draco's jaw and to his ear where Harry sucked on the lobe for a brief second.

"You know, I think you should get your ear pierced."

Draco jerked his head in surprise and raised an eyebrow. "An ear piercing, Potter?" he drawled in amusement.

"Yeah, it'd look sexy," Harry smiled. "Doesn't matter which ear. Maybe like a small silver hoop or something."

"Sure, Potter then why don't I get a tattoo to match?" Draco quipped sarcastically.

"Why not? We could get matching tattoos," Harry smiled. "Ginny suggested once during sixth year I should get a Hungarian Horntail."

Draco snorted and gave a roll of his eyes. "That's what all girls say boys should get—some sort of dragon. That's too cliché. And anyway, it costs a lot especially if you want the moving ones."

"I didn't know they could make tattoos move," Harry said, a bit surprised. "But I guess it makes sense, since wizard photographs can move."

Draco shook his head a bit. "You really were in the muggle world for too long."

"That's probably true," Harry gave him a small grin. "So, will you get your ear pierced?"

"We'll see, Potter," Draco said, stretching his arms up. "We should get to sleep. It's past midnight and we have to get up early for class."

"Okay," Harry agreed, scooting closer as he wrapped his arms around him.

"Potter, are you cuddling with me?"

"It's not cuddling. I'm sleeping with you and what's wrong with having my arms around you?" Harry said, lifting his head up.

Draco just snorted and muttered something that sounded like 'Gryffindors' before he rolled over onto his side. Harry just rolled his eyes in annoyance and wrapped his arms around the other boy, pushing his chest up against the blond's back. Harry kissed the back of Draco's neck before he closed his eyes. With the other boy close to him, Harry was able to fall asleep fairly fast.

However, he woke up in the middle of the night because of the lack of warmth. When he rolled over, he saw that Draco wasn't there. Figuring the blond had gone to the bathroom or something Harry closed his eyes and rested, waiting for the other boy to return. A few minutes later the door opened and he opened his eyes to see Draco closing the door behind him. Harry shut his eyes now that the blond was back and felt the bed move.

Seconds later, Harry felt the covers shift and he realized that they were being pulled up over his shoulders. Draco had adjusted the covers on him so he'd be warm. It was definitely a sign that Draco cared for him. Feeling happier than he ever had, Harry pretended to stretch in his sleep and scooted closer to the other boy. He didn't want Draco to know he was awake in case the blond became embarrassed about what he did so Harry made sure to act like he was sleeping. Once he brushed up against the blond's chest, Harry kept his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around Draco's body, pushing their chests together. He felt the blond's arm come around him in response and Harry felt his whole stomach flutter. It was definite proof that he had been right about Draco—the blond had a good heart and he was nothing like his family. Smiling in contentment, Harry drifted off to sleep thankful that this time it seemed their relationship was going to stay.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**To Reviewers: **

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **It didn't take too long for Draco to come back, right? Lol! Hehehe, that's such a good equation! Expensive present great affection. Very creative!

**Shoozie: **I know, but Draco's character is just stubborn. At least he's finally gotten better now, right? Hehe!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight: **Hehehe! I know, that was kind of sad. It was sad to write, but their relationship had to be tested. After all, it's certainly not perfect. But it's getting there, right? Hehe!

**Walking Through Shadows (Ash): **Hehehe! I know, I've wanted to do that through each chapter. Lol! But he's finally coming around now! Maybe both of our boppings on him finally worked.

**Kayla: **Don't worry, although their relationship will be tested, they'll make it through! Hehe!

**gbheart: **Oh yes, have no fear! They're back together now! Lol! But yes, their relationship had to be tested. And there will be other trials, but don't worry. I'm a happily-ever-after kind of person. Hehe!

**Smurff: **I know, it was sad! You're right though, Harry had to stand up for himself. But thankfully they're back together now. Aw, thanks! Hehe, actually it's just because I don't have work or school right now. School starts tomorrow for me, but this idea is so fresh in my mind I will not disappoint you. I shall continue to update frequently until it's finished!

**tgkur: **Hehe, I'm glad you liked it! Yep, you're right, they had to go through a trial. Oh yes, the Legilmency skill is very much needed. Although Harry hasn't perfected it yet, it comes in handy.

**DestinyEntwinements: **Yes, poor Harry (and Draco)! But they're both happy now! Hehe!

**Chosen-one4: **I know! You totally guessed it! Lol! I mean, the only reason I put Ron and Hermione together was for the same reason the story started out with Ginny/reluctant Harry—because J.K. put those couples together so I couldn't very well ignore it. But I don't really like Ron/Hermione together—I like them just as friends. And I definitely don't like Ginny/Harry, lol! If you couldn't tell. So that's why I wanted Lucas with Hermione. That will be coming up next chapter! Oh yes, now Harry and Draco are back together! Happiness! Hehe!

**Shakespeares Whore: **Thank you! I'm so glad you still really like this! Hehe! Yeah, I'm sorry the links didn't work before. I think now that FF took a little time to regenerate it should be better now. Oh yeah, I couldn't see Harry being the dominant. I know some people do, but it just doesn't make sense, what with his inexperience and all. Lol!

**Skittlelove: **Lol! Yep, the Lucas/Hermione thing will start next chapter! The only reason Ron and Hermione were together in the beginning is because J.K. put them together so I couldn't ignore it, lol! So I had to find a different route (same with Ginny/Harry—argh! I'm still mad she put them together). Oh yep! This is the dramatic thing that I was talking about. And it was necessary otherwise Draco would never finally admit to his feelings (to himself). But don't worry, this isn't over yet!

**Discombobulatedperson: **Lol! I know, me too! I'd be crying! But Harry doesn't really cry that easily (he didn't even cry in the books when Sirius died—he only shed a tear or two). Both he and Draco grew up in harsh lives. But at least now they have each other, right? Hehee!

**Pixie9: **Don't worry, Draco finally realized his feelings, lol! To himself anyway and good-ol' Harry got a good feel of it in this chapter. Hehe!

**Sinful Sakura: **Lol! Draco-Chan? That's so cute! Hehe, reminds me of Hee-chan (from Gundam Wing). I know, poor Draco though. At least he got Harry back now! Hehe!

**The Earth Mystic: **Yeah, that's what I would've done too just to make them feel bad. But of course both Draco and Harry have hardly ever cried in their lives so it's so unlike them. Unfortunately. And of course Draco would've felt too embarrassed by revealing himself, because he hadn't completely admitted to having feelings for Harry. But I think by now, Harry has a good feeling the blond realizes he likes him. Oh yes! Lucas and Hermione would be cute. I'm not a Ron/Hermione fan, but J.K. put them together so I couldn't ignore it, lol! Same with Ginny/Harry but I fixed that problem. Hehe! Oh yes, Ginny's obsession with Harry (I thought) was fairly obvious in this as well as the books. OOO! Good job! You're thinking ahead! I can't tell you if you're right about that, lol!

**Kari-sama: **Don't worry, Draco just needed that to happen so he could realize his feelings for Harry (and to stop him from being in denial, lol!). So now everything worked out! Hehe!

**wIthOUt A nAmE: **Yep, you're right! Something needed to happen so that Draco could realize his feelings! Hehe! And it was a good time. It's not over yet, though! I know, I think it'd be cute to see Hermione and Lucas together, lol! That was the second reason I created Lucas (and why he looks a bit like Harry too) so I'm glad you noticed that!

**Jeje: **Oh yes, Hermione and Lucas will get together next chapter! Hehe! And now Draco and Harry are together again!

**Tiger Eye2: **Hehe! Yeah, Draco's being stubborn again. True, that would be nicer if Draco could just reveal himself, but that would be very awkward. Not to mention Draco would feel embarrassed and then everyone would freak out. It needs to come slowly. But eventually, everyone will know.

**C. Khafre: **Oh I hate that when you leave such good reviews and then the computer shuts down or something else happens like that! That's frustrating! Lol! I'm sorry about not being a Ron/Hermione fan. I just like them as friends (same with Ginny/Harry). J.K. put both couples together and I don't know, I just didn't like them very much. Ron isn't a bad guy with Hermione, but I feel like she needs someone more compassionate. So I'm glad you like Lucas! Hehe!

**FairyDust353: **Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you like this! Hehe!

**Danithegirl: **Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like this! Lol! Oh yes, I have to be honest though this is the first time I have ever updated a story so frequently and quickly. I think it's because I basically knew what I wanted to happen from beginning to end. So that helped. Hehe! You're absolutely right! Harry even noticed that Draco showed his feelings like disguising himself as Lucas for him and such, but he didn't notice it until after the fight. I'm so glad you realized that! Awww, thanks for the encouragement and the kisses! I shall update again shortly!

**InuAce: **Aw, hehe! Don't worry, I promise to update soon! I'm glad you liked it!

**GrimWriter: **Thank you:-)

**Narcoleptic86: **Really? You could see Hermione and Lucas? Well, I guess that's a good sign, hehe! I thought maybe it'd come as a complete shock, but actually I'm glad to hear you saw some hints. Unfortunately, this is all in Harry's P.O.V., however if you read carefully you'll see that Harry is quickly figuring out Draco's feelings and how the blond thinks. Plus, Harry is a partial Legilmen (meaning he can read minds a bit) so that'll help:-)

**Saiyou-the-lover: **Lol! That was funny! Hehe! I guess Draco saw the light…as well as some stars and such! Hehe! Don't worry, Draco didn't mind being alone on Christmas-he needed to think, but at least he got Harry's presents to make him feel better. And now the sex, so what more could he ask for? Lol! Oh, that's alright. Don't worry about reviewing every single chapter, lol! I just love to hear feedback whenever you get a chance. I'll update shortly!

**The.one.and.only.mrs.daniel…: **Oh, thank you! I'm so glad you really like this so far! Lol! Yes, the stripping was fun to write, hehe! Oh yes, this is definitely slash! I posted it in the warning of the prologue (in case you missed it). Definitely slash! And though Draco and Harry don't come together right away, it comes eventually!


	20. Breaking Free

**Captivation**

**Chapter 19: Breaking Free**

Harry did not want to get up the next morning. He was so warm and content. The memory of Draco pulling the covers up over his shoulders (when the blond thought he was asleep) was still fresh in his mind. Draco, however, was very persistent in trying to get him up. When Harry did open his eyes, he saw the other boy was already dressed.

"Come on, Potter, get up," Draco said, tossing him his wand.

Harry smiled at the other boy. Although the blond still called him Potter, his voice was less cold. Of course at times he was still sarcastic but it was humorous and it wasn't at all like when he was closed up. Harry had finally broken through his barrier.

Stretching, Harry slipped out of bed. "I'm up."

Draco snorted as he began combing his hair. "It's about time. I've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes."

"Sorry," Harry murmured, smiling as he got up and waved his wand to get dressed.

Then he approached the blond who handed him the comb. Harry began combing his hair quickly and Draco made a sound in the back of his throat.

"Let me do that," Draco said, grabbing the comb.

Harry let go and the blond muttered a spell to help straighten his hair as Draco combed it for him. The blond tried to act like Harry needed help, but Harry could sense that Draco wanted an excuse to get close. So when the blond stopped, satisfied with his hair, Harry bent forward and wrapped his arms around him. Their noses were inches apart and Draco gazed at him silently.

"Thanks," Harry smiled. "Do I get a kiss now?"

Draco let an eyebrow rise slowly, but the blond bent forward and Harry met him half-way. It was a brief kiss, but Harry was satisfied. They broke apart and gathered their belongings. When they left the room a couple students looked up at them as they came out of the same room. Now for sure everyone would believe the rumors about them, but Draco didn't even seem to notice the stares (or he just didn't care). Harry smiled—the whole academy probably knew about them (not that he cared) and some families outside of the academy (and outside of Scotland) believed it too. Probably some were either disgusted or shocked that The-Boy-Who-Lived-Again was gay and with a Slytherin, but Harry didn't mind. Like he told Draco, it was impossible to please everyone so why bother? As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.

Suddenly, Harry remembered about Draco's mother. He wondered how she reacted to Draco sending the gifts back. She hadn't believed the article about them, but what if Lucius Malfoy had seen it? What would he think? In fact, what if he were to get out of Azkaban, even with House Arrest? Would he try and convince Draco to come back? Would he find out about the two of them and if he did, would he try anything to separate them, even while being watched by Ministry authorities?

Harry shook his head of the thoughts. Of course there were going to be people who disapproved. At some point Ron and his family would find out and others, since Harry and Draco would be walking around together. Once the shock of it passed, though, the two could live their lives together in peace. But they weren't quite there yet.

By lunch time, Harry got Draco to sit with him, Lucas and Tavis (among others). The blond didn't seem to mind changing tables and he even became engrossed in a conversation with Lucas.

"I agree," Lucas smiled at Draco (referring to something about Quidditch that they had been discussing).

Draco took another bite of his food and Harry smiled at them. Draco was sitting between him and Lucas and Tavis was on Harry's other side (but he was caught up in a conversation with Nicholas). Then Lucas glanced in his direction.

"So Harry, what's your lady friend's name?"

Harry blinked, remembering he had to send an owl to Hermione after lunch. "Oh, her name's Hermione."

Draco turned to glance at him. "Granger? What about her?"

"Harry's going to hook me up with her," Lucas smiled at him.

Both of Draco's eyebrows rose. "What happened to the Weasel?"

Lucas gave them a puzzled look but Harry just shook his head in amusement. "They didn't work out. Say, Draco, would you like to meet me up at Hogsmeade after I introduce them?" Harry asked.

The blond shrugged. "Sure. When is this match-making day?"

"Saturday," Harry smiled.

Draco nodded. "I always knew the Weasel was a bad choice."

Harry just rolled his eyes. "Draco, you're bias."

The blond shrugged carelessly and Harry was too tempted not to kiss his cheek. So he did. Draco didn't seem to mind and Lucas just gave him a soft smile, signaling he was grateful it worked out between them.

That night without any question, after Quidditch practice, Harry went with Draco to his room. They didn't have sex, but Harry made sure to wrap his arms around the blond as they slept.

The week went by nicely. For the most part, Harry made it a habit to sleep in Draco's room. There weren't very many parties since the new semester had just begun and most of the time Harry was too exhausted to go to one anyway. Hermione owled him back agreeing to the meeting on Saturday. Harry didn't know how Ron would react to it so he thought it best to keep it quiet for a little while.

Saturday morning Harry got up from his own room (since Draco wanted to sleep in a bit) and after dressing he went to meet Lucas in his common room. The two went out to meet Hermione at nine at a somewhat new restaurant called _The Dragon Lair_. Harry had never been there before because it was on the other side of Hogsmeade but when they got there he saw it was very nice. Dragon scales glistened above tables or against walls while illusions of full, live dragons floated around, sometimes roaring at customers who would get so startled they'd spill their drinks (but then be served new ones).

Hermione was punctual as usual and the moment Harry approached with Lucas she blushed and stood up quickly, smoothing her skirt.

"It's nice to meet you," she said, looking down as she held out her hand.

Lucas smiled and grasped her hand gently. Instead of shaking it firmly, he used it to pull her into a soft embrace.

"It's a pleasure," Lucas said.

Hermione's whole face turned beat-red and she nervously tucked a strand of curly brown hair behind her ear. Harry just smiled at the exchange and sat down with them, making sure Lucas sat directly across from Hermione so they could glance at once another with ease.

"So Hermione, as you know this is Lucas. I suppose you two can start by way of introductions. I'll just stay here until you finish so you don't lapse into awkward silences until the ice is broken a bit," Harry smiled. "Lucas, why don't you go first?"

"Alright," the boy smiled, raking a hand through his wavy black hair. "I'm nineteen and I'm planning to become a famous Quidditch player, much like Harry is. My father is the announcer for the Quidditch championships and my mother passed away during the war."

Hermione's face immediately contorted with sadness. "Oh, I'm so sorry! That must be so hard."

Lucas shrugged. "We've been doing alright. What about yourself?"

"Oh, well I'm younger, er, eighteen," she started nervously, fiddling with her napkin. "And I actually got accepted to a sorcery academy. And the best part is that it's in England, so I don't have to leave my home country. Actually, interestingly enough the castle in which the school has been created is in Cheshire, England atop what they refer to as 'Merlin's land'," Hermione explained, seemingly less nervous now.

"Merlin?" Lucas asked, blinking with wide, curious eyes.

"Yep. They say that when Merlin took in Arthur, the legendary knight that there was a cave inside what was called the Edge where Merlin took the knights to sleep or train or whatnot. Anyway, they built the castle in that town because they say that much of Merlin's powers rooted there, as in he practiced quite a lot. But anyway, they call it Merlin's land because he stayed in that area for a while, practicing magic while helping out Arthur and his knights during their times of war. So it supposedly is in a place where there's lots of spiritual magic. It's a beautiful place and I was told practicing magic in a place where powerful sorcery was done makes it easier to access the powers necessary to learn it," Hermione said, her eyes brightening as she passed on her knowledge. "So I'll be learning sorcery right in a place where the great Merlin once lived!"

"How fascinating!" Lucas exclaimed, smiling at her.

Hermione smiled back and the two stared at one another. Harry knew it was the perfect time to leave. A conversation had been opened up and it seemed the two of them were hitting it off fairly well. Slipping away quietly, Harry exited the place (since Draco wouldn't meet him for another ten minutes) and decided to take a walk. The moment he stepped outside, however, Harry caught sight of something that made his heart jolt. Ron was heading toward the restaurant, almost as if he knew Hermione would be there. Only it seemed as if he was lost in thought and he didn't appear to be on any vendetta. Harry immediately ran up to him, not wanting him to see Hermione with another guy.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed.

The other boy's head jerked up in surprise and his eyes brightened. "Hey Harry. How's it goin'?"

"Fine. Er, what are you doing here?" he asked casually.

"I needed to get out of the house. Charlie suggested this new place here—said they had amazing food and that their decorations were really wild."

"Er, well it's not that special," Harry said quickly, trying to direct him away. "Why don't we go somewhere else and talk?"

The red-head's eyebrows furrowed. "Well, actually I really wanted to check this place out."

Harry felt his stomach clench, but he forced a smile. "Alright, I know the best spot! Come on!"

Quickly, he dragged Ron inside but to a far away table from where Hermione and Lucas were seated. Ron sat down a bit hesitantly and looked around, watching as an illusion of an ice dragon came slithering past.

"Wow, this is a nice place," he commented.

"Yeah, it is," Harry said shrugging. "So how have you been?"

Ron shrugged. "Alright, I guess. Did Hermione tell you she broke up with me?"

Harry nervous swallowed. "Er, yeah, she did. You're not mad are you?"

"No, it's fine," Ron waved it away. "It's just…I don't know. I know Hermione and I fight a lot, but I still didn't expect her to break up with me."

"That's true…but neither one of you seemed any different when you dated. I mean, it's not like you two seemed to be really in love, you know? I mean, maybe you were," Harry said quickly. "But at the same time, you sometimes fought even more than you did as friends."

Ron nodded slowly. "Yeah. Mostly it was about stupid things, I guess. I mean, she just got so pretty and I was afraid that some other guy would sweep her away. And since I had wanted to date her for so long, I thought it'd be perfect when we got together."

Harry nodded. "Can I give you my honest opinion?"

The other boy nodded uncertainly.

"You did have a crush on her since fourth year, but honestly because we're all such good friends I think it was more of a protective reaction than love or anything. If you think about it, before fourth year we never had to protect Hermione from guys. No guys really surrounded her and she didn't have a boyfriend or anything. Then Krum came along and I think you weren't only jealous that he seemed better and he was trying to impress her, but you were probably worried he was going to take her away. You know, since we three have been inseparable since our first year. I think it was more of the fear of somebody taking her away, you know, like us being replaced somehow. Plus, we both didn't want anybody to take advantage of her kindness or break her heart because we cared about her. We were all like siblings just as a much as we were best friends.

"I mean the moment that Hermione began dressing like a girl and hanging out with Krum more, I think you started to get jealous and afraid that she might go with him and we'd never see her again. So then there was probably this possessive feeling that urged you to impress her so that she would stay with us. Am I making sense?" Harry asked, feeling a bit embarrassed at his ranting.

Ron thought for a second and nodded. "I do understand. Er, it makes a little sense. I mean, I know I didn't want her to get hurt. So I might have convinced myself I was in love just to protect her. Maybe I thought if she was with me no other guy could harm her—that we could make sure she was protected."

Harry nodded. "That's what I think too. But Hermione can handle herself, Ron. And if you think about it, not being with her…I mean, it doesn't like make you feel like you need her beside you all the time, right?"

"Yeah, it just feels like another normal fight like when we were friends," Ron shrugged.

"Then you're probably not in love with her. If your heart's not completely breaking and she's not always on your mind, I don't think it's romantic love. I think you were just concerned for her safety and you thought she'd be safe if she remained with you. But you have to remember, she'll always have us, even if another guy is in the picture," Harry smiled, knowing Lucas was a very good guy for her.

"You have to trust her judgment and let her go—let her grow up and be a woman. I know before we never thought of her as a woman—a real woman who goes out, dates and dressed up—because we never saw that in her. She was always just our friend—the smart, bushy-haired girl who helped us solve difficult puzzles. She's an adult now. Even when she met Krum she was probably more grown-up than either of us realized."

Ron sighed heavily and nodded. "You're right, Harry. I definitely see it now. Now that you mention it, I can see that I was only trying to protect her. You think she'll still want to be friends?"

"Of course! Like I said, we're inseparable," Harry grinned.

The red-head gave him a small smile. "Thanks Harry. I'm, er, glad we talked. I feel much better. I'll be right back. I just have to go to the bathroom."

"Okay," Harry said, as Ron stood up and walked away.

Harry glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't walking in Hermione's direction. Thankfully, he wasn't. Sighing, he felt relieved for a brief second until a familiar face came into sight.

"Draco?" Harry's eyes widened.

"There you are! Hermione said you stepped out so I was trying to find you," the blond said, sitting down.

"Draco, Ron's here," Harry said quickly. "He's in the bathroom and he'll be out in a second."

"What? What's the Weasel doing here?" Draco hissed in annoyance.

"He just wanted to check this place out, but thankfully he didn't see Hermione. And now I think he realizes that he didn't love her—it was a protective, possessive feeling he had, thinking that he could protect her from the world. Mainly guys," Harry said.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Must run in the family."

"Oh no!" Harry exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder. "Malfoy, he's coming. Quick, get under the table or he'll see you."

"_What_? I'm not—"

"Do you want him to find out about us this way?" Harry quipped hastily.

Draco gave him a glare and angrily ducked under the table as Ron approached.

"Alright, now what should I order? Hmm…Dragon meat pie, dragon talon crisps, dragon brew…interesting stuff here. Lots of dragon specialties," Ron shrugged.

"Yeah, they, er…have other things," Harry said, feeling Draco's back up against his legs.

"Well, let's see," Ron shifted.

"Ow!"

Ron's head jerked in surprise and Harry's eyes widened. "Ow…," he said, trying to cover up the fact that Draco had spoken from under the table.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Ron gazed at him curiously. "Er, was that you? I could've sworn…"

"No, it was me," Harry said, smiling nervously. "When you moved, you er, you kicked me."

"Really? But I thought we had plenty of space," Ron said, beginning to bend down to check under the table.

"No, it's fine!" Harry said quickly, forcing him to look back up. "Really. Actually, you know maybe it's a good idea if you go out and…you know, go back home to owl Hermione."

"Er…don't you want to eat?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"Not really. I just actually came from here. I already ate earlier with…erm, Lucas," Harry smiled. "But, you know why don't you Owl Hermione so you can explain to her that everything's fine and you want to make sure she's not still upset. Tell her you want to be friends and you want to put aside the awkwardness."

"But, er, I was going to try the talon crisps," Ron said, pointing at it.

"You, er, can always come back later," Harry said quickly. "But you should really do this so you're not worrying about it all day."

"Well, I guess I'm not that hungry right now," Ron shrugged. "I just wanted something to do. You know, maybe instead of spending the money mum gave me on food, I'll go buy myself something for that Firebolt you gave me for Christmas!"

The red-head's eyes brightened when he thought of that and Harry nodded. "Good idea."

"Yeah, I'll do that. You want to come?" Ron asked, standing up.

"Er, sorry I've got some homework to do. But maybe tomorrow I could stop buy for a game of Quidditch or something," Harry suggested.

"Alright, sure," Ron nodded.

Harry realized Ron would walk right by Hermione and Lucas so quickly he stood up. "Er, I'll walk with you out of here. I have to apparate back to school anyway."

He quickly took the red-head's arm to lead him out and he glanced back over his shoulder to see a disheveled and grumpy-looking Draco slipping into the booth. Harry caught his eye and gave him the 'one-minute' signal. The blond glared but nodded and Harry immediately began pushing Ron out. He had to get on the red-head's left to make sure he didn't see Hermione and Harry distracted him by pointing out the various floating dragons. Finally, once outside, Harry felt more relieved as they walked.

"Well, er, I guess we'll part here," Harry said once they were at least ten feet from the restaurant.

"Alright. See you tomorrow then," Ron waved as he walked away.

Harry watched him leave and finally breathed out a sigh of relief. He felt much more relaxed, or he did until he turned around and just about walked right into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" Narcissa Malfoy huffed.

Harry gapped open-mouthed and immediately her eyes narrowed upon recognizing him.

"Harry Potter," she hissed, crinkling her nose as if his very name gave her a bad taste in her mouth. "Don't think I'm not aware of your sinister plots, Potter."

Harry immediately glared in response. "I don't have any sinister plots. That's your family's job, isn't it?"

Narcissa's eyes narrowed instantly and she gave him a sharp look. "I don't know what you've done to my son, Potter, but I know you did something. And that article better not be the truth. If I find out you've seduced my son to get some sort of control or satisfaction over my family—"

"Oh please!" Harry exclaimed angrily. "I didn't do anything to your son! The only thing that's changed is that he's free—free from your strict, unloving rule, that's what! He got sick of you planning out every step of his life—he had no freedom!"

"Stop talking like you know him, boy!" Narcissa snapped quite ferociously. "My son is none of your concern and if you know what's best for you you'll stay away from him!"

"Or what?" Harry challenged, stepping forward. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning!" she hissed back, challenging him with her own gaze. "A warning to stay away from my family and if you are in any way involved with Draco's recent, inexcusable behavior I'll find out! He is first and foremost my son and family ties are much stronger than any magical control out there, Potter!"

"Do you really think I'd go through so much trouble to put some sort of spell on him? What the hell would I gain from that? And don't you think the school would detect the foul play?" Harry countered angrily.

Narcissa sniffed hotly. "Well, I daresay you're too famed for your own good. You could probably get away with murder."

"_I'm_ not the one who would commit murder!" Harry hissed angrily, glaring daggers. "But your family did quite a lot of it! And I'm sure Draco wants no part of your tainted name!"

"Don't you dare talk about my son as if you know him!" she spat, seemingly revolted.

"I do know him! I know him way better than you do! And I know he's a lot happier at the school and away from you!" Harry snapped.

Narcissa's face contorted into fury and she opened her mouth. Before any foul words or a retort could come out, her eyes suddenly widened.

"Draco! There you are!"

Harry wheeled around and caught sight of the blond with crossed arms and a grim look on his face. He was approaching them quickly, probably having come out to see what was taking him so long. Harry's chest immediately tightened. How was he supposed to act around the other boy in front of her? Did Draco want him to pretend they weren't friends?

"What was the meaning of the gifts?" Narcissa demanding, approaching within five feet. "If you're worried about the deadline, I'm sure that I could help broaden your search for a pureblood girl. You know I have connections, son. I can look all around the world for one."

"Mother, I'm not interested. Quidditch is my main focus and I want a career in it. Marriage would only get in the way," Draco stated coolly.

Harry stayed where he was, letting them talk but he didn't want to leave in case Draco was suddenly brainwashed by his mom. He had to make sure everything would be alright. Narcissa glanced over her shoulder at him and then whipped her head back around.

"Is Potter the one brainwashing you? Are you two actually friends now Draco?" Narcissa asked with disgust lacing her tone. "You know what he did! He destroyed…," she trailed off, glancing around at the other people before inhaling sharply. "I'll give you one more chance, my son, because I want you to make both your father and I proud. He's getting out of Azkaban, you know. He's coming home and while the annoying Ministry has to keep watch over him for many years, he'll still be there. And he saw the article, Draco. He was not pleased at all…not at all. Your father's angry now, but if you come back home, if you make this agreement to try again, he'll be proud of you once more.

"Now, I'm giving you a chance. Right now, your name has been temporarily removed from our vault but it will be permanently removed from most records, as well as the family tree, if you don't agree to come back at least. I'm sure we can make a slightly different deal, Draco. I know how much you were looking forward to your inheritance and it can be put back there under your name. This is the last chance. If you want to come back and make your family proud—uphold your name and status in the world—then you will go to Gringotts and write me a private letter that will be given to the goblin in charge of our family vault. I will then go to Gringotts the next day to check for it—I'll give you until tomorrow night by eight to decide—and then your inheritance will be right back in its place," she gave him a cool smile.

"This is the road to choose Draco. As much as you love Quidditch, and it is a fine talent, marriage is vital. I can extend the deadline for you, my dear boy, and help you find a wonderful suitor. We'll hold parties every night and you can meet pureblood girls. And if we can't find a pureblood—since they are very rare these days—we can at least find a well-bred, upper class Slytherin girl for you. That is the new deal. But you must come back home to make the agreement, after leaving me the letter. So once I see you've left the letter in agreement, I will then arrange for parties and such and you can come home and on weekends and make me proud. Of course I'll let you finish up at your Quidditch school," she continued, smiling down upon him not with love, but desperation—desperation to uphold her own status.

"And it'll be great on your record. I'm sure your father can get you a wonderful job down in Knockturn Alley—special jobs like what Bella's father used to do. You know, arranging meetings, making new clients, selling offers, but most importantly being successful. Become a business man and make us proud. Remember, this is your last chance," her tone turned colder. "Otherwise your name will be erased, Draco and I don't want to see that happen. Make the wise choice."

Narcissa's eyes fell back onto Harry and she glared. "People like him will only befriend you to keep you at their level. But you can rise higher, my son. Much, much higher. I'll be awaiting that letter."

She tapped her finger under his chin—supposedly a caring gesture—and then walked away without even taking another glance at Harry. Once she left completely, Harry quickly approached his boyfriend looking concerned.

"Hey," Harry said quietly, putting a hand on his arm.

Draco kept his gaze ahead, looking grim and Harry patted his arm gently. "Let's go inside and get something to eat."

Without saying anything, Draco turned and went inside. Immediately, they sat down and ordered something. Harry glanced at him from time to time, but the other boy stared down at his food. Harry didn't know what to say—he didn't know how Draco was feeling and he was afraid to ask. He didn't want the other boy to choose the other road—the road with no freedom, no happiness and a future already planned out and expected of him.

"I need that money," Draco said bluntly, after some time had passed between them.

Harry leaned forward, staring at him seriously. "Draco, you don't need it. I know it'd be a big help, but…you can't let her bribe you into going back to that life. They'll never let you go! I mean, they'll probably force you into a binding Unbreakable Vow or something."

"This loan isn't going to last forever. It's just for school, Potter," he said angrily. "Which means I have no money to spend on new clothes, or gifts or just fun things. And I may not get a career once I leave the school—maybe not right away. What will I do if I can't pay off the loan right away? And don't you understand what she was saying?" Draco's head jerked up as he stared at him with anger, but it wasn't directed toward him.

"If she wipes me from the family tree it's as if I don't exist! No one but the Ministry will ever have a record of me being their son, or them having a son at all. Whoever knows me of course will figure out what happened, but it'll be like my name means nothing! I'll be a nobody forever!"

"That's not true," Harry retorted firmly. "You can make your own name for yourself."

"I'll always be a Malfoy!" he exclaimed. "And with that name people will automatically always think rich, well-bred, Slytherin and evil! My whole family will not speak to me and with the same last name they'll probably make it impossible for me to do anything! Being disowned leaves a curse—a stain—upon the person!"

Harry stared at him with wide eyes. "Draco, you're not going to be happy. And we'll have to…"

The other boy just stared down at his plate and hurriedly Harry climbed over to his side to six next to him.

"Draco, please," Harry pleaded, feeling the need to show him that he didn't want the blond to leave. "Wait! I've got it!"

Draco turned to him, still looking grim and angry, but Harry clasped a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe being erased from the family tree is just what you need."

"Excuse me?" Draco drawled.

"No, listen. Your mom said you're temporarily taken off the vault account, right? So that means you can make your own account."

"I can't do that with the same last name unless I can prove I'm not related. And since I'm related it'd have to be through my family vault that I get my own, but of course my parents will see that doesn't happen," Draco said, narrowing his eyes.

"Right, but what if you take on a new identity," Harry said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Change your surname! You can legally, and magically, do that once you turn eighteen, right? And since you don't exist at Gringotts anyway, you can easily change your name everywhere! Of course you'll have to go to the Ministry and go through a process or whatever, but it'll be worth it, Draco! And once the Ministry realizes you have no connection to the family anyway, because of your being disowned, they can't deny you a new name! Because you'd technically not exist anyway, er…well, you know what I mean. You do exist, but your name means nothing, which means you can change it.

"Once you pick out whatever last name you want, you go to Gringotts and make your own account! Draco, please do this! I know it's a lot to ask—to give up your own family—and it's easy for me to tell you that it's no big loss because they didn't really love you, but it is a big loss. Losing all that money, your status and everything you were born with," Harry said, as Draco stared at him silently.

"But think of it! You could create a whole new status with no murder or evil stain on your name. You could be completely a famous Quidditch player and you could tell everyone you're an orphan, like I am. Lots of papers love writing about orphans—it makes people more sympathetic. And no one but a select few people who knew you growing up and survived the war, plus your family and the Ministry, would ever know your original identity, but there'd be no way for anyone to make the connection since you'd magically change your surname. It could be a fresh start, Draco! You could make a name for yourself, a career and become rich! And you wouldn't have any responsibilities to anyone but yourself!"

The blond stared at him for several minutes and then glanced down at his plate. Harry's smile faded and he knew it was too much. Of course Draco couldn't give up everything he grew up with—he wanted to be rich, he wanted to be well-bred and he probably wanted to make his parents proud. Harry let go of the blond's arm and turned to stare ahead silently. He didn't want to show just how upset he was about possibly losing him. Of course he wouldn't cry, but his heart was aching painfully.

Suddenly, Harry felt Draco shift next to him and he turned, giving the boy a weak smile to show that it was alright that he wanted to go back to his mom. Draco stared back at him with his bright, silver-grey eyes with blond bangs ghosting over his forehead. The blond gave him a shrug and tilted his head, curling his lips a bit.

"So, what do you think a good surname would be?"

Harry couldn't explain the happiness that flooded inside of him. He couldn't stop himself from throwing his arms around him and kissing him straight on the lips.

"Whatever you want, I don't mind. Just make sure it's something that's not common—maybe a family name that's died out or something so no body ties you to anyone," Harry said, feeling his heart pounding ecstatically.

He couldn't stop smiling widely nor did he want to unwind his arms from the blond anytime soon.

"We should probably go to the Ministry now then. Hopefully it won't take more than a few hours," Draco spoke up.

Harry pulled away to stare at him and the blond stared back. He was trying so desperately to read his mind, but not being an expert in Legilmency, Harry could only sense that Draco didn't love his parents enough to go back. And maybe…maybe he cared for Harry even more. Smiling, Harry embraced him tightly and he felt the blond's arm wind slowly around his back. As he pulled away, Harry placed a small kiss on his cheek and then unwound his arms from around him, his forest-green eyes shining brilliantly.

"Okay, let's go."

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**Author's Story note:_ Well, finally things are looking up. It is getting closer to the end, unfortunately. HistoryGirl2005 asked me about a sequel so I'll have to think on that! I'll let you know by the end of this!_**

To Reviewers: 

**Walking Through Shadows: **Lol! Yes, I think our combined bopping worked wonders. So let's hope it stays! Hehe!

**Tiger Eye2: **Lol! I'm glad you're hooked so I'll try not to make you wait too long. Unfortunately since school has started again, it could take me a little while longer to get chapters up. But definitely no more than an extra day or two.

**Lollylover: **Hehe! Yeah, it's finally getting cute, isn't it? Lol! I bet you've been waiting forever. Well, at least it finally happened!

**MoonlightGoddess08: **Hehehe! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. Hopefully this one was still interesting! I know there wasn't a lot of romance, but there's still more to come!

**Smurff: **Hehe! Yeah, darn school! It might take me a little longer to update at times, depending on the amount of homework, but I'll make sure it won't be more than an extra day or two. Haha! I'm glad you liked the last scene! It was nice to write too!

**The Earth Mystic: **Oh, happy birthday! Wow, 21 huh? I just recently turned 20. Lol! Oh yes, the tattoo idea will come up a little later. Hehe!

**Danithegirl: **Thanks for the energy bar! That really helped, especially since a few days ago I got food-poisoning, which is NOT fun. Being in the bathroom all night…argh! I felt horrible. But I'm all better now! And I promise more cute-scenes to come too!

**ItsaMiracle: **Haha, thanks!

**Branwen777: **Yay! I'm so glad you said that! That was my goal of this story—to keep it in Harry's P.O.V. but slowly he starts to figure out Draco from what he observes and senses. That way you don't know exactly what Draco's thinking, but you can sense what he's feeling and how he cares about Harry through what he does. I'm very glad you saw that! I'm so very glad you love this, thank you!

**Person: **Aw, thank you! I'm so glad I'm keeping Draco in-character—that's always very important when doing fanfiction (I've noticed). And I shall continue the quick updates (despite annoying school stuffing me with assignments already—argh college is a nuisance, lol!)

**DesitnyEntwinements: **Oh not long at all! In fact, keep that in mind for next chapter! Just a hint…tehehe!

**Kendra1117: **Aw, thanks a lot! I'm so glad you like this! And I'm glad I'm still managing to keep both Harry and Draco in-character—that was my goal! Hehe! And yes, I'm definitely a happily-ever-after kind of person. Hope that doesn't spoil anything, lol! But I shall continue to update quickly (despite school which has decided to load me with work already—ARGH!)

**Skittlelove: **Hehe, I'm glad you thought it was cute! There will be more romantic scenes bordering (and being swallowed by) cuteness! And despite school, I will continue to update frequently, lol!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight: **Hehe! Yeah, it sure is! Though Draco hasn't said it yet, I think he's very much proven he likes Harry by now!

**Kayla: **Hehe! Yep and finally they're together to stay!

**Chosen-one4: **Thanks! Haha, yeah more cute scenes to come too!

**Saiyou-the-lover: **Lol! I'm very glad you liked that chapter! There will be more cute-ness/romance to come! Oh yes, I very much am looking forward to writing Draco's piercing. Lol! You're very welcome! Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Don't worry, I'll keep updating quickly!

**C.Khafre: **Oh good! I really hope you won't mind Hermione/Lucas—hopefully it's a little better now. And there will be plenty more Harry/Draco, lol!

**Narcoleptic86: **Lol! Don't worry, Harry wasn't planning on leaving the blond out.

**Goddess Bless: **Thanks! Oh yes, it was already out in the school and stuff, but I meant like everyone outside of school and back in England seeing them walking around with each other.

**Sinful Sakura: **Glad you liked it! More sweetness to come:-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE**Sorry about your computer troubles. I'm very glad you liked the chapter though! Lol! I'll update shortly!

**GoddessMoonLady: **I'm glad you liked it! And there's more sweetness to come! Hopefully there was enough Lucas/Hermione in this to understand where that's going, hehe!

**Ghosthly-Shadow: **Hehe! I'm so glad you thought it was cute! Thanks!

**GreenEyedCatDragon:** Lol! Yep, Draco's not a cuddler. I'm glad you liked it! Oh yes, Harry got bold, lol! Still more sweetness to come!

**HistoryGirl2005: **Aww, don't think about the end. I thought about what you said about a sequel and I'll definitely look into that. The only thing I'm worried about is that if I get a good idea (because school has started up) and I post it, I may not be able to update as frequently as I have with this one. So I'm afraid it might go un-updated for a while and I hate that when my stories get neglected. So we'll see!

**Shakespeares Whore: **Aww, thanks, I'm very glad you liked the mild-sappiness. Hehe! Still more sweetness to come! Lol! Well, the ear piercing is a definite and the tattoo idea will come up later, hehe! Thanks for the suggestion, lol! I do have something already in store, but actually it does give me an idea! Thanks:-)

**tgkur: **hehe! Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!

**Shoozie: **Hehehe! Yep, they're together now! It's not quite over yet! Hehe!

**Jeje: **Hehe, danger? Well…it depends on what you mean. If you mean, will Harry's life be at stake…well, just know that I'm a happily-ever-after kind of person, despite what other hardships may come. So, don't worry!

**Kari-Sama: **Lol! Yes, poor Draco and Harry with their sexual molestation. It's a good thing they have each other now!

**Shinna: **Aww, thank you! I'm so glad you really like this! Thanks a bunch:-)

**InuAce: **Hehe! Yep, very true! Even a blind wizard could sense their love, right?

**Cath: **Yeppers, his shell has finally begun to open—all thanks to Harry! Hehe!


	21. Secret No More

**Captivation**

_**WARNING: Sexual content**_

**Chapter 20: Secret No More**

The excitement of Draco's decision soon turned to partial anxiety when Harry realized he couldn't go all the way with him. They had reached the Ministry (and gotten a few stares—probably remnants of the article) and Draco had to go to level eight by his self. Level eight was called the Atrium, which was a long hall lined with fireplaces on each side and a fountain with statues (of a wizard, a witch, a centaur and a house elf spouting water). The Atrium had within it what were called 'lifts', which would send a person to different levels of the Ministry (except level ten), but also there was a small section within the level called _Magical and Personal Guidance._

Since it wasn't an actual "department" it couldn't be considered one, nor could it have its own level. It was a small room, from what Harry understood, in which a person went up to the desk and informed them of their "problem". Depending on its severity, it would be dealt with that day, or be directed to a larger department for their help. That was where Draco had to go to legally get his surname changed. Harry had asked him if he needed some time to think about it, but Draco said he wanted to get it over with.

Harry waited on the first floor (in the lobby where the seating area was) for several hours, wondering nervously if maybe they wouldn't grant Draco his request. Then finally, after fifteen more anxious minutes of tapping his foot impatiently on the floor while sipping his tenth cup of tea, Draco appeared from out of one of the lifts. Immediately, Harry ran to him despite feeling the need to find a restroom.

"How was it?" Harry asked quickly, searching the other boy's face for any hints.

Draco rubbed his shoulder. "Lots of writing and it took forever."

"So, you have a new surname? What is it?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I'll show you once we leave. I hate being in here," Draco said, glancing around.

Harry nodded and followed right beside him as they left. Once the two apparated back into Hogsmeade, Draco pulled out a piece of parchment and Harry took it carefully, his heart beating anxiously. It read:

_Name: Draco Lucendil Malfoy_

_Age: 18_

_Reason: hereby requests his surname be changed._

_Legalities:_

_Passed the truth-serum testing—parents have disowned him._

_Signed all official documents agreeing to the name change and verifies that he knows the change will be permanent (lest he wishes to change it again in the future)._

_By the order of Marxus Weaven (former Auror and now leader of the_Magical and Personal Guidance_office), Draco Lucendil Malfoy is no longer on the register. All official records in bookstores, schools and whatnot shall be changed. The only original record of his real name will remain safely in our office._

_New Name: Draco Opalus Merlin_

_Signed and presented by,_

_Marxus Weaven_

Harry stared at it and tilted his head. "Merlin, huh?"

"I got the idea from the famous wizard Merlin," Draco shrugged. "I figure no one seems to have been named after him, and he was so great and all."

"It's a good choice, I like it," Harry smiled sincerely. "What about Opalus?"

"I know it sounds a bit weird, but it's actually taken after one of the rarest dragons: the Antipodean Opaleye. It's a dragon native to New Zealand and Australia and it has pearly scales, multi-colored eyes without pupils, which are said to glitter even in the dark and its flames are vivid red. I actually did an essay on it at Hogwarts and I thought it'd be cool to have a middle name similar to Opaleye, after the dragon, but not the exact name. That'd be too strange," Draco crinkled his nose.

Laughing in agreement, Harry nodded. "I think you did great! I definitely like the new name. It's catchy but yet simple. And no one in the world has the same last name—you're completely unique," Harry smiled.

Draco's eyes seemed to glisten with the compliment.

"Did you have to change your middle name too?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, but I was named after my grandfather, on my father's side, so I decided to change it anyway. I never liked my grandfather to begin with."

"I see," Harry nodded. "So is this an immediate change?"

"Well, he said it would take up to five hours for the charm to reach all the places where my name has been stored. He did say that he didn't have to contact everyone, except for Hogwarts. McGonagall will be informed of the name-change so she can update her old records on me, but other than that everything else should just be changed magically by itself, once the charm completely kicks in."

"Great! So by tomorrow you'll be a whole new you. Even the records at the Quidditch school will have been changed," Harry smiled. "And then people will start thinking you're Merlin's descendant or something. That'll get you even more fame."

Draco let a sexy, coy smile show as he straightened his shoulders. The blond still took to compliments very well, but it was endearing. And Harry was sorely tempted to kiss him so he stopped Draco with his hand and when the blond turned to him, Harry bent toward him and pressed his lips to his. The blond responded slowly to the kiss but once Harry wound his arms around him, Draco placed his hands on Harry's back as well.

They were still in Hogsmeade, but Harry didn't care if he showed proof of the article. Everyone would find out one way or another. And with Draco's name being changed if anyone tried to write an article with him and they put Malfoy as his surname, it would magically not show up, since that Draco technically didn't exist any longer. So then being a different person would make it less of a big deal. Harry heard a snap and he broke the kiss, turning to the sound. Draco turned his head as well to see that quite a few people had stopped and stared and the person who had snapped a picture was dashing away so Harry couldn't see what they looked like.

"Oh great, I think this is going to be in the paper," Harry murmured quietly.

Draco gave him a look. "Just what I need after being disowned."

Harry pursed his lips in thought, as they walked away from the few people still staring at them, and turned to him.

"Hey, what if we make a deal with Rita Skeeter?"

"That woman can't make deals," Draco snorted.

"Yes she can. Because you and I, plus Hermione, all know of her illegal Animagus form, which Hermione threatened to reveal during our fourth year when she became a nuisance. And now since she had snuck, unannounced and uninvited, into my private room at school, there are now two big things that could get her fired from the Daily Prophet and sentence to probation by the Ministry.

"So we could make a deal that she'll get an article, meaning she'll have a job, in a way, but she'll have to write exactly what we say. And we can explain our relationship and I can tell everyone your name-your new name, so that way any ties between me and your family will be forgotten. And this way, people will begin to know you as the new you," Harry rose his eyebrows in question.

Draco sighed heavily and then nodded. "Why not? It's probably going to be all over the papers anyway. And it's better it gets out now. Besides, with a Malfoy heir not existing anymore, people will think something bad happened to him or that he died in the war. And I can start fresh with a clean name."

"Exactly. And already you're on your way to fame in Quidditch, so why not start off in the papers as the boyfriend of the famous Harry Potter? That ought to give you some credibility to start with and once your name is well-known too they'll be looking for you out in the championships," Harry winked.

Snorting, but smiling at the same time, Draco responded: "I suppose so."

"I'll owl Hermione and ask her how I can track Rita down," Harry nodded. "And then hopefully this will be over with soon."

"Not quite. The Weasel's going to see the paper and throw a fit. Even though my name will be changed, he knows what I look like," Draco drawled.

Harry inhaled deeply and nodded. "Well, we'll just have to deal with him when it comes."

"Oh joy," Draco quipped sarcastically.

Harry reached over and grasped Draco's hand firmly (breaking one of the rules of "hand-holding in public" that Harry told him he wouldn't do early on).

"I don't care how he feels, Draco. I'm still going to be with you. I mean, I want him to remain my friend so hopefully it won't come to that, but I won't care if he disapproves," Harry gave him a smile then released the hold on the blond's hand.

"He just better not set me on fire, or I'll hunt him down," Draco drawled, his eyes gleaming.

Harry knew Draco wasn't kidding, to a certain degree. If Ron pushed boundaries, Draco would react and vice versa. Harry hoped that Ron had grown up from his hard-headedness, like during fourth year when he wouldn't believe Harry didn't place his own name in the Goblet for more attention. Ron was the type to easily take offense, become jealous or even jump to conclusions. Not to mention he was as narrow-minded toward Slytherins and how they were usually viewed just as much as Slytherins were biased against Gryffindors.

Right when they got back to school, Harry ran up to the Owlry to send a message to Hermione about Rita Skeeter. By dinner time, he received a reply and Hermione gave him a magical quartz stone that could track a person down (over a map). So Harry used the quartz over a map of England and discovered Rita wasn't back-in-town exactly; she was on the outskirts of England but really more into Wales. Harry sent a message to her with the deal and hoped she'd reply as soon as possible.

Nial had called Draco into his office to discuss his name-change briefly (probably to make sure it was accurate) and later on as was planned Draco met him in his room. They kissed for a long while before bed, but it didn't lead to further activities. Harry still slept with his arms around him and Draco had not complained since Harry had gotten into the habit of doing it. In the morning, if Harry woke up before him, he found Draco's arms around him as well—more proof that the blond cared about him, but was still reluctant to show too much or voice it aloud.

Unfortunately, as both Harry and Draco feared, the picture of them kissing came out in a slightly different paper—one that wasn't part of any England paper, like the Daily Prophet, but had offices in a couple parts of the world, but mostly its news reported Scotland and Ireland's events. It was called _The Augurey Gossip_ and its name suited it. Whoever had taken the picture had obviously had trouble finding a place that would print it, so they decided to go all the way to Ireland (or maybe even farther) but finally they found a newspaper that published it.

The good news was that the publication company only published it in the Ireland region but the bad news was that another company in Wales soon got hold of the story. A week later it was floating around in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The headline was: _**Harry Potter's Love Affair**_ and beneath it was a picture of him and Draco kissing in Hogsmeade. It mentioned the article that the Daily Prophet had published a while ago concerning Harry Potter with another boy (for they couldn't remember his name nor did it show up on any of the old, published Daily Prophets for some mysterious reason).

They didn't manage to find out Draco's name, but the picture was clear enough. Whoever knew Draco would know it was him, but thankfully most Slytherins (who survived the war and knew him) wouldn't step forward since many were in hiding. The Slytherin families figured that way they wouldn't get sent to Azkaban in case people started getting suspicious of them (since it was still recent enough after the war that everyone was sensitive about new riots).

Lucas told him not to be concerned and that many people were judgmental but it would all pass in a few weeks. And according to the blue-eyed boy, he and Hermione were scheduled to meet for a butterbeer during lunch. Harry decided, for the sake of getting out for a while and to relax, to meet up with them along with Draco. The two of them needed fresh air and they decided to go to a small pub in Diagon Alley since Hogsmeade was still bustling about with the fresh news of Harry's orientation (now completely proven to be true with a moving picture).

They sat down in a booth with Hermione next to Lucas and Harry next to Draco. They all ordered drinks and began talking about various topics. Lucas and Hermione seemed to gaze at one another quite often. Harry watched as Lucas took Hermione's hand and kissed it and Hermione, trying to be sophisticated, just thanked him while hiding her blush.

"I'm getting nauseous," Draco whispered to him, concerning Lucas and Hermione.

Smiling, Harry just shook his head. "You can always run to the bathroom."

Draco gave him a look and raked a hand through his hair. "I have to go there anyway."

"Okay," Harry said, watching as the blond got up and left.

"So, you two seem happy," Hermione commented, finally broken from her trance with Lucas. "You know, Harry, despite not knowing the same Draco you know, he seems rather…well, passive. I mean, he's sarcastic at times, but honestly not that bad."

"I told you," Harry said, giving her a raised eyebrow and a smile. "He's really got a good heart. He just used to hide behind that cold mask to protect his self. Actually, you know," he said a bit nervously as the two looked at him expectantly, "I think I might—"

"What the hell is going on?"

Harry's head jerked in surprise to see Ron approaching slowly. He saw Lucas' hand holding Hermione's and was wearing a confused expression.

"You guys didn't tell me you were meeting here," he said rather angrily and suspiciously. "I came here to pick up something for myself, but…are you guys excluding me?"

"No, it's not like that, Ron," Hermione interjected quickly. "It was a last moment decision."

"Actually," Harry said hesitantly, "this is a double date."

"Oh, then Hermione has someone here too?" Ron asked, glancing at her.

Hermione shifted nervously and glanced at Harry, who nodded. "Yes, er, Lucas and Hermione are dating now."

"Lucas? Wait, isn't he your boyfriend?" Ron asked, pointing with a puzzled expression.

Lucas glanced at him and Harry shook his head. "No, Ron. Lucas is straight and he and Hermione are dating. I…pretended Lucas was my boyfriend because my real boyfriend…er…is someone different. Actually, you might know him."

"Speaking of that," Ron said, ignoring the last sentence, "did you see the article in the paper, Harry? Somebody posing as Draco Malfoy and you were kissing. I mean, it's rather ridiculous! They're just copying what the Daily Prophet did a while back but you should complain."

"Er, Ron, actually there's something I have to tell you," Harry said, glancing up at him.

"Where did they find people who look like you? I mean, that did look like you, but obviously that picture was magically modified because you were dating him," Ron pointed at Lucas.

"No, I wasn't," Harry said firmly. "I told you I was pretending."

"But Ginny said she saw you two kiss at Christmas," Ron protested, looking back and forth between them.

Lucas looked a bit confused himself and Harry sighed heavily. "Look, Ron, I had my _real_ boyfriend pose as Lucas, because I had told Ginny that Lucas was my boyfriend, since she didn't believe I was gay. But Lucas isn't even gay at all, nor is he my boyfriend; we're just friends. I couldn't show my real boyfriend."

Ron's eyebrows furrowed. "How come?"

"Oh, it's the Weasel," a voice drawled from behind.

Ron spun around and suddenly glared. "Malfoy! What the hell are you doing here!"

"That's not my name anymore," the blond drawled, sitting down next to Harry.

"Wha…bu…," Ron stuttered and blubbered non-existent words, staring at Draco who had sat down next to him, with his mouth open in shock.

"The article was true, Ron," Harry said slowly. "And the picture was accurate too. Draco is my real boyfriend and that's why he was disguised as Lucas over Christmas. Sorry about not asking your permission," Harry said, glancing at Lucas apologetically.

Lucas just smiled a bit and shrugged. "No harm done."

"No harm? What…Harry, you can't be serious!" Ron exclaimed, pointing toward Draco. "The Malfoys are terrible—it's because of his family that many people died including Sirius!"

"I know, Ron, but that—"

"I mean, why the hell would you even get to like him? He's cruel, selfish, annoying—"

"Watch it Weasel!" Draco snapped angrily.

Harry placed on hand on his arm to stop him from causing a scene. "Look, Ron, it's true alright. Draco isn't like that. You don't know him like I do."

"Oh right, I don't?" Ron retorted hotly. "We only spent all of our years at Hogwarts being tormented by him!"

"He only tormented us because he thought he had too—because his family put a lot of pressure on him!" Harry exclaimed and Draco glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

Ron's face turned an angry shade of red. "So behind my back Hermione already found a new boyfriend and you've been dating Malfoy?"

"It wasn't behind your back, Ron. Lucas and I started dating recently and it was after we broke up," Hermione said quietly, glancing at Lucas nervously who patted her hand.

"He's a great guy for her and you and I had this discussion the other day," Harry said quickly.

"Harry, Malfoy could be lying! He could be using you, waiting till you're vulnerable before he poisons you or something!" Ron exclaimed, raising his voice and gesturing with his hands wildly.

"I could've poisoned him numerous times but I didn't, Weasley," Draco drawled coldly.

Ron immediately glared at him and clenched his fists. Then he turned his furious eyes on Harry.

"So…how long have you been with him behind everyone's back, huh? And how the hell do you know that he wasn't put up to it by his family? Have you questioned him with Veritaserum?"

"I tried that once, yes," Harry said, surprising Ron. "But you know what, Ron? I don't need that sort of solid proof, because I know Draco's sincere. He's right about not being a Malfoy, you know. He had his name changed a week ago—he's been completely disowned by his family so he has no ties to them whatsoever.

"And," Harry began as Ron opened his mouth to retort, "Draco changed his name for me, as well as for himself, but if it wasn't for my persuasion and us being together he probably wouldn't have gone through with it. We've had disagreements, but you know just like your dad said that Draco was given Veritaserum right after the war. He didn't kill anyone, he hardly was among Voldemort's ranks for very long and he was forced into it by his father. Plus he didn't have the Dark Mark."

"That doesn't mean he's not a bad person!" Ron spat out, glaring at him.

"Ron, just because he teased us in school it doesn't make him a bad person. There are tons of bullies out there but they wouldn't really hurt anyone. Most of the time it's just expressing stress," Harry said.

"It doesn't matter if you say he had his name changed! He'll always be a Malfoy because he was born a Malfoy!"

"Ron, listen for a second and stop thinking so narrow-mindedly!" Harry snapped back. "Don't you trust my judgment? You know I've faced tons of bad people during and before the war so do you think I'd be with Draco if he was a bad person?"

"I don't know, he's probably got you under some sort of spell," Ron said, clenching his jaw tightly.

"Harry wouldn't be able to speak freely like this if he was," Hermione pointed out, earning a glare from the red-head.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe he has changed his ways or anything! And I can't imagine why you do!" Ron snapped angrily. "And I can't believe you'd hook Hermione up recently after we broke up with another guy!"

"It wasn't working between you two for a while, Ron. You just hadn't officially broken up," Harry retorted. "And anyway, Lucas is a wonderful guy and you even admitted that you weren't in love with Hermione but you care for her as a best frien—"

"That still doesn't give you the right to hide things from me!" Ron hissed, narrowing his eyes. "And I can't believe you kissed Malfoy! You…I mean, you haven't…"

Draco took the opportunity to interject with a raised eyebrow. "Had sex? Oh yes, we have…many times."

Harry shot the blond an annoyed glare and Ron's face immediately paled. He gave Harry a disgusted look, opened and closed his mouth a few times and then stormed out of the place. Once he was out-of-sight, Harry sighed heavily and rubbed his temples.

"That went well," he grumbled sarcastically.

Draco shrugged and took a sip of his drink. Hermione bit her lip nervously and glanced at Lucas who just gave her a small smile.

"Look, both of you don't worry about him. You two seem great together," Harry said honestly. "He'll just need some time to get over it."

"I'm sure he'll get over the fact that I have a boyfriend, in a little while, but about you and Draco…Harry, I'm not sure if Ron will be able to ever accept that," Hermione said quietly.

Harry glared at his cup but didn't respond. After that, he and Draco left so that Hermione and Lucas could salvage their time together. Draco wasn't speaking at all either, but he didn't seem angry just annoyed. By dinner time, Harry was eating silently next to Draco, surrounded by Lucas, Tavis, Nicholas, Dahlia and Ambreen (and a few others). Draco joined into conversations, but Harry remained quiet. Lucas eventually put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it soothingly.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked quietly.

Harry shrugged. "I guess. I don't want my friendship with Ron to broken over this, but…I'm not going to break up with Draco either. I…I care about him too much."

Lucas nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way with Hermione. We can just talk about anything and she's not rushing into getting to know each other. We're both taking our time and I like it…I feel safe around her and she's so beautiful and intelligent…Sorry, I'm babbling. I'm very grateful you introduced us. I just wish that we had either met earlier or that your friend wasn't so easily tempered."

"Yeah, well he'll have to accept you and Hermione because they agreed to be friends and they of course still want to be friends. Us three have gone through a lot together and I always thought nothing could really separate us. Sure, we've gotten into arguments and Ron's a little hot-headed but our friendship has never really been threatened as much as it is now," Harry said quietly.

Lucas pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Hopefully, if your friend Ron is truly your friend he'll accept who you like."

"Unfortunately because of the past we have with Draco it'll be nearly impossible. He did cause us a lot of grief back in school and Ron gets angry and defensive over even the smallest things. Draco used to tease him about being poor and having pass-me-down clothing and also being untalented in magic for a while. Ron doesn't easily forgive and forget, you know?"

Lucas nodded. "I know a couple people like that too. Tavis can be like that if you get him really upset, but it takes quite a bit. So I've heard. I just can't imagine with you three being so close that he'd give your friendship just because of one disagreement."

"Yeah…I really hope he hasn't," Harry murmured.

Just then Hedwig swooped down toward him and Harry glanced up as she landed by his plate. As Harry took the letter attached to her leg, Hedwig nibbled on some of his chicken. Lucas just smiled in amusement and rubbed Hedwig under her chin, which she gratefully accepted. Harry opened it and read it, nearly choking on his mashed potatoes as he realized it was from Ron.

_Harry,_

_Look, I'm sorry about freaking out. I know you say Malfoy has changed and well…while I don't believe it, I want to give it another shot. My parents are going to be out to dinner next Saturday evening and they'll probably stay out late. I was thinking maybe you and Malfoy could…you know, come over to my house so we can talk this out a bit, you know? Please respond soon. Oh, and if you're wondering how mum and dad reacted, well my dad nearly choked on his stew when he read it and my mum turned so pale at the picture that she had to sit down for a bit. But afterward, my mum certainly handled it better than dad—he thinks it's preposterous and won't even talk about it, while mum has pretty much gotten over the shock, for the most part. Anyway, reply soon._

_Ron_

Harry quickly nudged Draco, who glanced at him a bit annoyed. Then he handed the blond the letter and Draco snorted, throwing it down.

"Please, it sounds like he's trying too hard. He must be planning our deaths."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Come on, Draco, this might be what we need in order to patch things up."

Draco shrugged as he ate another bite. "I'm perfectly fine with not patching things up with him. I don't need to be friends with him, nor do I want to be."

"I'm not asking you to be good friends with him, Draco. I just want you two to be able to act civil to each other. And I want Ron to still be my friend and at least, even reluctantly, accept our relationship," Harry said, giving him a pleading look. "Please can we go?"

Draco's eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. "If there is one single sign that he's going to turn violent…"

"Don't worry, I'll know the signs," Harry promised. "We'll leave and if Ron can't accept it then…well, he can't accept it. And I'll just hope he'll come to his senses after some time passes."

"Fine," Draco grumbled reluctantly.

Harry smiled at him, feeling a bit better. That night, Harry curled up in Draco's bed as the blond lay down. This time, Draco lay down facing the ceiling and Harry scooted right up against him till his head was resting against the blond's shoulder. Then he slung an arm across the blond's bare chest. Draco glanced down at him tiredly and Harry smiled up at him. The blond raised an eyebrow and Harry's eyes glimmered with amusement. He kissed the blond's shoulder and closed his eyes, feeling content with Draco despite his worries about Ron.

The week went by quickly because of studies and practice. Although the new semester hadn't been going on for too long, the second-semester Quidditch matches were being scheduled. Their next one was to be in mid-January. It was already the first week of January and already Harry was anxious about it. They had a victorious first-semester but it was bound to get more challenging.

Saturday evening, Harry dragged a reluctant Draco with him to Ron's house. When they arrived Ginny surprisingly answered the door and stared at both of them. Her eyes traveled instantly to Draco and Harry saw a gleam he couldn't quite place.

"Come in. Ron will be down in a minute," she said bluntly, opening it for them. "Wait right here."

Although Ginny didn't seem as bitter toward Harry being gay, that he could tell, since her relationship with Darian was apparently becoming more serious, there was still something about her that made him uneasy.

"You didn't tell me the molester was going to be here," Draco drawled quietly once Ginny disappeared.

Harry snorted and quickly covered his mouth, elbowing the blond gently. "I didn't know. He just said his parents weren't going to be here."

"Great," Draco grumbled, folding his arms gently.

Harry had the urge to kiss him, because his sarcasm was endearing at times, but he was too afraid Ron would walk in at that moment and blow a fuse. They waited for several minutes and finally the red-head stumbled down the stairs rather quickly. He was flushed and looking a bit nervous but he nodded toward both of them. His eyes instantly narrowed toward Draco and Harry's Legilmency skills were warning him of something. He couldn't get a good enough reading and he suddenly wished he had mastered it.

"Er, come and eat. I think everything should be set up in the dining room."

Harry and Draco glanced at one another and silently followed the other boy into the room. They all sat down awkwardly. Draco took a seat next to Harry and Ron sat at the head of the table, sipping his tea nervously. There was food prepared for them and drinks already poured. Harry wondered if Ginny did it. The girl came in moments later to join them for dinner and there was an incredibly awkward silence between the four of them.

"So, er, thanks for doing this," Harry finally spoke up as everyone began eating slowly.

Ron nodded bluntly. "Yeah."

"Are you…I mean, okay with us?" Harry asked quietly.

"It'll take a while to get used to…," Ron said, shrugging nervously.

Ginny made a sound and glanced at Harry. "Why did you lie to me about Lucas?"

"Because you kept trying to convince me I wasn't gay and I am. Draco and I weren't exactly together, as in dating, at that time so I very well couldn't bring him. So my friend Lucas offered to help me convince you of my orientation," Harry explained calmly.

Ginny pursed her lips then shrugged. "I guess I don't really care now. You heard about me and Darian, right? We've been dating for about three months now and we're getting pretty close."

Draco coughed as he took a sip of his drink and Harry subtly kicked him under the table.

"Er, that's good," Harry nodded. "So you like him a lot then?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I do. Although Ron keeps finding problems with him."

"I do not!" Ron blurted out instantly.

Harry smiled. "I think that's just his nature to be overprotective. He was the same way with Hermione. But I guarantee you, Ron that Lucas is a very gentle person. And he's a sweet-heart."

"And apparently drop-dead gorgeous," Draco drawled as he took a sip of his tea.

"You think so?" Ginny raised her eyebrows toward him.

Draco glared in annoyance. "Harry does. He's all right."

Harry rolled his eyes, but he was feeling a bit better about everything. It seemed that everyone was finally talking so perhaps it would all work out okay. Ron asked some questions about the school but otherwise they didn't bring up the topic about them dating. Finally, dinner was all done and Ginny began getting up.

"Er, Harry, since I know Ron won't do a thing, could you help me with the plates?"

Harry glanced at Draco who just shrugged so he got up and cleared some dishes, following Ginny into the kitchen. Once they put the dishes in the sink, Harry began to turn to go back but Ginny stopped him.

"Harry, are you sure this is safe?" she asked him.

"You mean, Draco? Of course he is. He's been a really good friend to me and a boyfriend," Harry said honestly. "I mean that. I know it's hard to see him as a good person because of the past, but he's away from his family for good now."

Ginny nodded hesitantly. "That's what Ron said. I couldn't believe it when I saw the picture of you two…I mean, I knew you were gay but I was just so confused. Even with Lucas it was still hard to believe you were gay, of course until I saw you two kissing."

"Yeah, I know, but I am. And I really like Draco," Harry said, turning to go.

"Wait! I just…well, I want to, you know, make sure everything's okay," Ginny said nervously.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Ginny, what's going on? You and Ron have both been acting strangely.

Ginny opened her mouth, giving him a nervous expression, just as a loud sound came from the other room. Harry dashed into the dining room without hesitation to see Draco standing up, red in the face with Ron looking a bit scared but he remained with clenched fists.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry blurted out, looking back and forth between them.

Draco pointed a shaky finger at the red-head. "He…they put Veritaserum in my drink!"

"What?" Harry's eyes widened as he wheeled around to face Ron. "This was all just a set-up, wasn't it? I can't believe you!"

"Harry, this is for your own good! I had to make sure Draco wasn't trying to kill you! You should be thanking me!" Ron exclaimed.

"I told you that I trusted him!" Harry shouted. "How could you do this? And where the hell did you get access to Veritaserum?"

"Through my dad," Ron muttered with furrowed eyebrows. "I told him Hermione needed it for a potion she was working on."

"And he believed that?" Harry countered as Ron shrugged. "Do you know how much trouble you're going to be in?"

"Stop it!" Ginny came into the room looking furious. "Ron was just trying to be a good friend, Harry! To make sure you were safe!"

"So you're both in on this? I can't believe you two! I can make my own decisions! Draco is a good person!" Harry shouted, glaring at them.

"I told him I don't want to kill you!" Draco shouted, his eyes dilated from the potion's effects. "How long does this bloody stuff last?"

"I only put six drops in it to last a full hour!" Ron shouted. "And did you put Harry under a love-spell?"

"NO!" Draco shouted furiously. "He was the one who came to me first! He kissed me first!"

Ron's head jerked toward Harry and Ginny stared at him in surprise too. Harry was too angry to care that they both were staring at him as if he had gone mad.

"I told you it's legitimate! Now do you two believe me?"

"Have you both had sex?" Ginny blurted out.

Draco tried to close his mouth but it wouldn't work. "Yes!"

"Many times as he put it," Ron said darkly, glaring at the blond. "Did you take advantage of him?"

"NO!" Draco shouted, pounding a fist on the table.

"That's enough! You have your proof! I'm not under any spell or potion, alright?" Harry shouted. "That's it! Leave Draco alone! We both like each other mutually and there's nothing sinister with our relationship! If you two can't handle it then you're just being narrow-minded! I want to be with him."

"Even if you're not under a spell, he's still dangerous!" Ron exclaimed.

"No he's not!" Harry shouted. "I've been with him and have gotten to know him much better, Ron! Hogwarts was different! The war was going on and…and I'm sick of trying to rationalize everything for you! You're always hot-headed and you don't listen to reason!"

"Look, he doesn't care about you, Harry! The moment he sees someone else he'll end up leaving you! He's insensitive!" Ron exclaimed, pointing a finger at Draco. "Even if he doesn't try to kill you that doesn't mean he won't try to hurt you emotionally. I mean, think about it! Come on, this is Malfoy we're talking about! He called Hermione mudblood and said many hurtful things!"

"That was all at Hogwarts, Ron! And besides, we've called him many names behind his back, but does that mean we're really cruel, evil people?" Harry argued as Draco gave him a suspicious look. "Just because he teased us doesn't mean he's evil! Besides, I'm sure that his parents were doing most of it! You know that Voldemort was on the loose and his parents just wanted to make sure they'd stay alive and be in Voldemort's inner-circle so that's why they raised Draco to hate me and everyone who wasn't a Slytherin."

Ginny suddenly fixated her eyes on Draco. "Fine, Harry! If you want to forget everything he's ever done and blame it on his parents then that's fine! You say you trust him, but this is the real truth. He has to tell nothing but the truth!" she shouted as Draco's eyes widened uncertainly. Her gaze went from Harry back to Draco and she blurted out: "Do you love Harry?"

Draco's eyes widened, even as he was still shaking with fury from being tricked. His mouth moved of its own accord.

"Yes!"

The moment he blurted it out all eyes were upon him and Harry felt his heart jolt suddenly. Ron's mouth had dropped open in shock and Ginny was staring at the blond unbelieving. Draco's face contorted into fury and embarrassment and suddenly he vanished from the spot. Harry felt his whole chest tighten and angrily he wheeled around upon the other two.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?" Harry bellowed angrily. "I told you he wouldn't hurt me! Now do you see? I didn't need Veritaserum to know Draco cared about me because he has shown me! Unlike you two who didn't get to know him at all, I did! He gave up his name and his family and his duties for me!" Harry shouted, feeling his face turn red with anger. "He's been there for me and he has shown me he cares for me!"

"Harry…," Ron began weakly.

"DON'T!" Harry shouted, shaking furiously. "I love him, Ron! Don't you two get it? I _love_ him! And I didn't need him to be forced into showing me he did too! I had hoped that we could put the past behind us and that he could hopefully think of me as more than a friend, but you know what? I didn't even need to hear it! I knew if he loved me he'd tell me eventually but he showed how much he cared through everything he's done for me. And now you two might've ruined everything! I won't forgive you!"

The second after that came out of his mouth, he vanished. Harry began searching everywhere for the other boy. It was his fault for forcing Draco to come. He should've just come alone and talked to Ron in private, but no…he didn't listen to his instincts. Draco had been right in sensing something was amiss. And the blond had been forced to admit to loving Harry maybe even when he didn't realize it himself. Harry was so afraid it would ruin everything—that Draco would be too confused and embarrassed to face him. What if the blond ran back to his parents?

Harry went back to the school and knocked on his room door, but no answer came. He checked the library and the dining hall (where dinner was ending). A part of him wanted to go see if he apparated to Hogsmeade or someplace farther to be alone, but when he decided to quickly check the Quidditch field he caught sight of something floating in the sky. Instantly, Harry summoned his broom and rose to the sky, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.

"Draco!" Harry shouted.

The blond's head whipped around.

"Please don't run!" Harry pleaded, flying toward him slowly.

Draco turned back and Harry was tempted to soar to him quickly to make sure he'd catch him before he ran, but he wanted to make sure Draco was in the mood to talk.

"What do you want?" Draco spat out angrily.

"I'm so sorry! If I had had any idea…," Harry began, trying to catch the blond's eye.

"Just leave me alone!" Draco shouted just before he soared off on the broom that Harry had gotten him.

"Draco, wait! Please!" Harry pleaded as the blond disappeared into the dark.

Harry knew he could try and chase after him, but if Draco didn't want to be found then he wouldn't. Slowly, Harry kept his broom still as he turned around, staring up at the night sky and the crescent moon. He went back inside and waited until past curfew. He knew the blond would most likely be in his room so he went there. He rapped lightly on the door.

"Draco? Draco, please open up. Look, I'm really, _really_ sorry Ron did that to you. I told him that it was not only low of him but that I won't forgive him—not anytime soon," Harry spoke, leaning his head against the door. No response came, but Harry decided to continue. "It was more than wrong of him. And…I'm sorry for forcing you to come. It was my fault. I just…well, I want you to know that I…What I mean to say is…," Harry licked his dry lips. Why was it so hard to say?

"Draco, I know this might sound lame and simple, but I…I love you too. And maybe it's too soon for either of us to say it, but it's not a lie. It might have even been your subconscious that answered instead of you because of the potion. But, I want you to know I do love you. That's why I'm choosing to stay with you despite what anybody else thinks or says because I _want_ to be with you. Now, will you please open up?"

"I would if I wasn't standing right here."

Harry jumped and wheeled around, clutching at his chest. Draco was standing behind him with crossed arms and broom in hand. His hair was disheveled around his face and dripping slightly so he must've come from the showers.

"Please don't scare me like that," Harry breathed out heavily. "I guess…was I talking to myself the whole time?"

Draco stared at him and shrugged casually. "Well, I was listening, but you were talking to a door."

"You heard everything then?" Harry asked quietly, suddenly shifting nervously.

"Yes," Draco said firmly, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"I meant what I said," Harry said, taking a step closer to him. "I do…love you, I mean."

Draco looked away for a second and then walked toward his door, slowly passing by Harry. He watched the blond open his door and hesitantly turned around to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

Harry turned back around, glancing at the blond puzzled. Draco was holding the door open and Harry immediately felt his chest loosen. Feeling a bit foolish, and thinking if anybody was watching it'd look like a romantic drama from a movie, he walked toward him. Brushing past the blond, Harry entered the room. Once the door closed behind them, Harry turned around and stared at the other boy uncertainly.

Draco put his broom in his trunk and rested up against the desk.

"Look, I want to say that what I said didn't surprise me, but it did," Draco began slowly. "And it's not that I don't…you know, I just…" Draco sighed heavily, looking uncomfortable.

"It's okay," Harry said softly, coming closer as the blond locked eyes with him. "Look, the important thing is that we care about one another. I mean…it's okay if we don't know if we love each other or not. We just started going out and…," Harry trailed off feeling his face heat up. "Don't worry about it. Who knows, we might not stay together, but that's okay. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't. I'm sorry Ron forced us into a position we weren't ready for," he said, licking his lips slowly as he watched as a drip of water cascaded down the side of the blond's face.

"Look right now it's working out between us. That's all that matters right now," Harry said.

Draco shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head. "Yeah. But if he steps one foot near me, I'm going to kill him."

Harry blinked, realizing he was referring to Ron and the comment broke the awkwardness between them. Smiling, Harry nodded.

"I perfectly understand, but we don't want murder on your new record," Harry joked, smiling. "But I promise we'll stay clear of Ron and his family as best as we can. And I'll ignore him, if I see him in Hogsmeade or someplace, until I get an apology from him for the both of us."

Finally, the blond's shoulders seemed to ease and he nodded in agreement. "It better be a damn good apology."

Harry laughed softly and nodded. "It better."

It seemed that their relationship hadn't been ruined after all, but that didn't excuse what Ron had done.

"Would you mind if I slept here?"

Draco began undressing and gave him a calm expression. "You might as well since it's past curfew."

Harry nodded and waved his wand so he was dressed only in his boxers. He slipped into the bed and lay down as Draco extinguished the lights, set his wand on the bureau and slipped into the bed as well. Harry was too nervous to put his arms around him, since their relationship had been pushed a little too far so he just found comfort in knowing that perhaps they both were truly in love and that their relationship would last a long time. Maybe even forever.

Harry woke up at around six a.m. obviously too early for breakfast. But a thought occurred to him and he shook Draco awake gently.

"Hmm…what time is it?" Draco asked groggily as he slowly sat up.

"A little past six," Harry said as the blond sent him a glare. "I was thinking we could take a shower before breakfast."

"Potter, I took one last night," Draco yawned, glancing at him irritably.

"Come on," Harry said, hopping out of bed and tugging on his arm.

"I want to sleep," the blond drawled, narrowing his eyes.

"Come on, we can sleep later. It's Sunday after all. No school, remember?" Harry pleaded.

Draco scowled and clumsily got out of bed and threw some clothes on. He grudgingly followed Harry, cursing under his breath. Harry just inwardly smiled and as they got into the shower, the blond's attitude relaxed as the hot water poured down upon him. Harry could sense all they needed was a little ice-breaker in order to get things back to the way they were (before Ron mucked it up with his distrust for both Harry's judgment and Draco). So he slipped over to Draco's shower head and tapped the blond on the shoulder.

Draco turned and Harry poured shampoo all over his head.

"Potter!" he sputtered, glaring as shampoo foam dripped down his face.

Harry couldn't help but smile widely and he began raking his hands through Draco's soapy hair.

"I'll wash it for you," Harry said, smiling as he massaged Draco's skull while his fingers moved.

The blond luckily didn't protest but he still seemed rather annoyed by Harry's cheerfulness at such an ungodly hour.

"Lean back," Harry said, as the blond tilted his head back.

The shampoo trailed down the blond's neck as it was rinsed by the water. Harry kept his fingers massaging through Draco's hair as the shampoo was completely washed out. As the other boy still had his neck tilted back, Harry leaned forward and pressed his lips to the side of his neck. Harry felt Draco's head move in surprise, but Harry opened his mouth wider and let his tongue caress the blond's skin even as he began to suck. Draco was breathing deeply and Harry moved to other parts of the blond's neck. It was as if a fire was suddenly burning inside of both of them—the spark had been brought back as the passion returned.

Harry moved forward as his lips found Draco's and instantly their mouths opened and their tongues intertwined. Harry's fingers raked roughly through the blond's hair as their kissing became more passionate. Draco's skin was so warm and smooth beneath the water that Harry couldn't help but trail along it with his fingers. Slowly he moved across the blond's shoulders down across his back. The two of them were already becoming quickly aroused and as Harry's fingers moved, he felt the other boy's hands on his waist, pushing him backward.

The second Harry's back touched the cool, stone wall he immediately raised a leg that wrapped around the blond's waist. The kissing didn't stop and in fact it continued heatedly. Harry let out a breathless moan in between kisses as he felt Draco's erection as his entrance. This time, neither of them had to use lubrication, since they had had sex often by now and thanks to the water, which provided some ease. Tilting his head back, Harry grunted, closing his eyes as he felt the erection squeeze inside of him, brushing upward at an angle as it hit the sensitive nerves in his passage.

Then suddenly Draco came out and back inside in less than a second and Harry cried out in pleasure, gripping onto the blond's shoulders as his back rubbed against the stone wall. Draco leaned heavily against him, putting hands on either side of Harry's neck, which was still tilted back and touching the wall, as he thrust inside in quick, deep motions. Harry raised his other leg off the ground and soon Draco was holding him up and rolling his hips forward as the force pushed Harry even more against the wall. Draco was breathing heavily and groaning at the same time, letting out loud grunts of pleasure every time Harry managed to move his hips with the rhythm.

Harry moaned and gripped Draco even tighter as his whole body moved from the breathed a sighing moan as he thrust inside again. The rhythm picked up and Harry wrapped both arms around the blond's neck, having both his legs around Draco's waist as well, as the other boy thrust into him with more determination nearing climax. Harry's back was roughly scraping against the wall, though it didn't really hurt, as Draco rolled his hips over and over, harder and harder until Harry groaned deeply, releasing his sperm as the blond orgasmed inside of him. The water rinsed away any sign of their passion and slowly Harry unwound his legs from around Draco's waist, feeling sated and content.

Draco opened his eyes, still breathing heavily and Harry pulled him in for another kiss. Their tongues wound together briefly before they broke apart and after the sponges ghosted over their bodies once, the water was turned off and the two of them dressed and made their way to breakfast. Once they sat down next to Lucas and Tavis for breakfast, the four of them joined in a conversation about Quidditch. It no longer felt distant or awkward between him and Draco and Harry was more than glad for that. In the middle of their conversation over who would win the championship for that year, Hedwig flew in with a letter attached to her leg. Harry immediately assumed it was from Ron, hopefully with a well though-out apology, but was surprised when he discovered who it was from.

_Harry Potter,_

_I have received your urgent message and while I'm still a bit hurt from being accused of near-sexual harassment, when I didn't realize you were going to undress, and I'm still being threatened about my Animagus form, I am currently not receiving any work and if I don't turn in something by the end of this week I'll be completely fired from my job…again. So, since this is my last chance, I am willing to make that deal with you. I shall meet you and your partner in an area where we won't be overheard during the interview—a very tiny café called_Le Diamant _in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, which you can apparate to from the school. I shall see you two today at around one o'clock this afternoon._

_Rita Skeeter_

"Who's it from?" Tavis asked through a mouthful of food.

"Oh, just an old acquaintance," Harry said, smiling as he handed it to Draco who read it. "Er, sorry so what were you saying?"

"Just that Gorodock Gargoyles are catching up to the Heidelberg Harriers," Tavis said. "Oh and Ambreen and I had wild sex last night."

Harry raised an eyebrow and glanced at Draco and Lucas. Lucas looked completely amused and Draco seemed to be ignoring him.

"Just what we wanted to hear at breakfast," Draco drawled, folding the letter back up.

"I was just trying to get your attention, Draco. You seemed distracted by that secret letter," Tavis said with a grin. "But it is true Ambreen and I were considering getting back together."

"Really? That's great," Harry said, smiling.

Draco just shrugged and then glanced over at Harry. Draco nodded to signal he agreed to the meeting. All in all, it seemed that hopefully things were calming back down. Now, he just hoped that Draco's parents wouldn't cause any more problems, especially if they ended up seeing the picture of them kissing.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	22. A Trap

**Captivation**

**Chapter 21: A Trap**

_Le Diamant_was indeed very small, just as Rita Skeeter had said, and it had been easy to apparate there from the school (being since it was in Scotland, just far north in the Orkney Islands). It wasn't very crowded either, which Harry was grateful for. He and Draco made their way inside the café and saw a familiar brown-haired woman with oval glasses. Swiftly, the two of them headed over to the table and Rita glanced up at them, adjusting her glasses as they sat down.

"So, am I going to be threatened again?" Rita's eyes narrowed, staring only at Harry.

He shrugged in response. "No, but if you don't publish our exact words we _will_ be telling the Ministry."

Rita pursed her lips grimly, knowingly exactly what he was referring to. Inhaling deeply as she straightened her shoulders, Rita pulled out her notebook and magical quill, but this time she was forced to place it in eye-view of the two of them.

"Alright, so if I understand your predicament, the papers caught you two kissing," she said, as her lips curled in amusement, "and so you both are going to come out about your relationship and explain it in the way you want to."

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding.

The magical quill began scribbling and Harry glanced over at it to see _heading: The True Confession of Harry Potter's love-life._Draco caught sight of it too and rolled his eyes a bit. Harry just nodded toward the woman to show it was okay. Rita folded her hands casually and began.

"Well, first and foremost I'm going to have to put both of your names into the paper."

"I don't think you know his name," Harry said, gesturing toward Draco who stared at Rita coolly.

The woman's eyebrows rose. "I'm sure I do. I wrote an article on you both earlier."

Harry shook his head. "You got his name wrong. It's Draco Merlin. You put Malfoy, but the Malfoys don't have a son any longer. Er, he went missing during the war," Harry added as an afterthought.

"Oh really?" Rita blinked, squinting toward Draco. "I could've sworn I looked him up…hold on."

She pulled out an older-looking notebook and began searching through it. Then when she got to a page she blinked, bending down toward it.

"That's strange…it only says Draco, but I could've sworn I had found out his last name."

"You can look me up if you want to," Draco drawled.

"There's no need. I'll just put your name down then. Merlin," she said as the magical quill scribbled. "Now, when did you two first start going out and what do you want the public to know about your relationship?"

"Er, about a month after coming to the school," Harry answered, glancing at Draco who just stared ahead.

"Uh huh, and is it true that Draco is a Slytherin? And if he's not related to the Malfoys was he in any way connected to You-Know-Who during the war?"

Draco's eyes narrowed, but Harry spoke up. "Er, he is a Slytherin, but he wasn't connected to Voldemort or those in league with him."

Rita winced and then nodded. "Okay."

She asked them each a few more questions. Harry answered most of them since Draco was content to just listen and sip some coffee. It was over in about a half-hour and Rita folded her notebook back up.

"It'll take a few days to write and publish but by the end of the week it should be up. Friday at the latest," she said, staring at the two of them. "And I would appreciate it if we could make a deal right now. If you never reveal my Animagus form—"

"Or the fact that you snuck into my private quarters," Harry added.

"You know, a reporter has to be sneaky, otherwise no stories come about," Rita said.

Draco snorted. "I doubt the Ministry would care about your 'stories', they'd just be concerned that you could spy on them as well. Plus the number of complaints from other people."

"Fine, or that," Rita agreed. "Then I'll never post another article about either of you two, unless of course you want me to."

"Deal," Harry nodded, holding out his hand.

She shook it and then grabbed her purse. "Good. Now I shall finally have my job back and that hag Layola can get the hell out of my place."

With that, she marched confidently out of the café and Harry leaned back, sighing with relief.

"I'm glad that's over."

Draco just gulped the rest of his coffee down and stood up. "Yeah. Let's go."

Harry followed him out of the café. "Hey Draco, what about that piercing?"

The blond turned his head and gave him a sarcastic look. "You're still going on about that, Potter."

"Yes. There might be a shop around here somewhere. Let's look," Harry said, giving him a smile.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I told you I'd see."

"Come on, please? You can always take it out if you really don't like it." Harry said, tugging on his arm urgently.

"Potter, they're completely useless."

"Maybe, but I'm going to be the one paying for it, since you only have the loan for school, right? So you're not wasting any of your money. And I think it's worth it," Harry smiled.

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I told you it'd be sexy," Harry said as Draco just snorted in response.

"Fine, Potter but if it annoys me too much I'm taking it out."

"Deal," Harry extended his hand.

Draco shook it firmly and while their hands were still clasped, Harry tugged on Draco's hand which allowed him to easily bend toward him to plant a brief kiss on his lips.

"That's to seal it," Harry grinned, earning a rare perplexed smile from the other boy.

The two of them explored the island by apparating to various areas (although they had to be careful of muggles). Harry became excited when he saw a rather fancy jewelry store. He gestured to it and Draco reluctantly followed him inside. The whole place was filled with exotic jewelry and the few customers were looking around at various sections. Draco suddenly grabbed his arm and leaned toward his ear.

"Potter, this is a muggle store!"

"How can you tell?" Harry asked quietly.

"Because nobody is carrying wands," Draco exclaimed quietly, turning around to leave.

"Hold on," Harry said, holding onto him. "Hermione told me a lot of places outside of Diagon Alley sell things to both muggles and wizards. So some places must know when wizards enter or when muggles enter. So that means if the owners of this place are magical they could be hiding it when muggles come into the store. Here," Harry said as he spotted a woman with a name tag.

She spotted them and smiled. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Er, do you happen to know about Quidditch?" Harry asked quietly.

The woman's eyes brightened and she smiled widely. "Ah yes. Follow me, please."

Harry glanced at Draco who just crossed his arms casually. The two of them followed her behind the counter to a back room. To both Harry and Draco's further surprise, she took out her wand and tapped on the wall. It opened before them and inside was another part of the store, identical to the area where they had entered, only they were certain wizards and witches were shopping in this section. There were charms that glistened and caused items to float or changed the item's color. It was much more interesting to say the least.

"The jewelry over there is half-off," she pointed, "including the charmed-bracelets, which have a mild protection charm on them."

"Do you have ear piercing?" Harry asked.

The woman smiled. "Why yes, we do. As a matter of fact, we have some wonderful new earrings made from dragon scales that just came in. They're gorgeous!"

"Can we see those?" Harry's interest perked up.

"Right this way," she gestured with a smile, leading them to an aisle further down.

Draco seemed content with just browsing with his eyes. He didn't voice any protest as Harry looked at some options. The woman showed them to the section and Harry immediately fell in love with the collection.

"You two see if there's anything you might like and I'll be back in a minute after I check on the muggles," she winked.

As she walked away, Harry tugged on Draco's arm to bring him closer. "What do you think about these?"

Draco glanced at the collection of earrings. Some were simple—just plain silver or gold but they could shimmer or change colors (if a person wanted to pay a little extra to get it charmed to do so). There were a few in particular that Harry admired, which were the ones made from dragon scales and glimmered with deep emerald, ruby and ocean colors, among others. Some of them were even mixed with colors and the appearance of the earring itself was smooth and glossy, like mica. Even some had onyx lines running through them.

Studying them carefully, Draco tilted his head and then finally pointed to one in particular.

"If anything, I suppose that one's alright."

Harry smiled at the blond's consistent stubborn-nature (to not admit when he was really interested in something or having fun). He picked up the single silver-pearly colored earring that glimmered because of the dragon scales. It was smooth and flexible—a perfect small hoop that wouldn't dangle but curl right underneath the earlobe.

"I like it," Harry said, gazing at him with a soft smile as the blond glanced at him as well.

"Did you two find something?" the woman approached them again.

"Yes, this one," Harry offered it to her. "Actually, could you pierce his ear with it?"

The woman smiled as he gestured to Draco who stared at her passively and she nodded.

"Of course. I can place any kind of color-changing charm or anything that you'd like as well."

Harry turned to Draco who just shrugged. "It's fine how it is."

Gesturing for them to follow her, she brought them over to an empty area and summoned a chair. Draco took a seat in it and Harry stood beside him.

"Okay, all I'm going to do is use a basic spell to aim in the exact spot of the lobe you'd like the earring. And also which ear you'd like it," she smiled.

"I don't care," Draco drawled casually, leaning back in the chair.

"Alright, well just choose one then," the woman said getting her wand out.

"Left," he shrugged.

The woman nodded and aimed her wand toward him. A dull yellow light came out of the wand and aimed at the lobe. Harry watched as it got to the exact center and she summoned a mirror to show Draco where the earring would go. The blond nodded in approval and with a jerk of her wand the earring suddenly magically appeared in his ear. Draco didn't even wince and Harry wondered if he even felt anything in the first place. It was definitely a much easier way than the muggles.

"There you go," the woman smiled.

She summoned a mirror for him and Draco studied it, bringing his fingers up to touch the shimmering hoop. Harry was fascinated by it since it clearly brought out his eyes and its slight shimmer highlighted his blond hair as well. He definitely knew it was worth it. Draco nodded as if he was satisfied with it and stood up. Harry went to the counter to pay, watching as the blond admired himself in the reflection of the glass cabinet.

Once they exited the store, Harry smiled at the blond who raked his fingers through his hair a couple times as they walked. Although Draco was very attractive on his own, the earring gave him an extra bit of class that he couldn't show by just dressing in rich clothing. It added to his naturally alluring appearance. The two of them got back in time for a late lunch (thankfully it was Sunday) and they sat down by Tavis, Lucas and Nicholas.

"Hey boys, there's going to be another party tonight," Tavis grinned widely. "I was just telling Lucas about it but he and his new girlfriend are going out to dinner."

"Really?" Harry's eyes brightened.

Lucas smiled and nodded. "Yes, we are."

"I'm happy for you both," Harry smiled. "We should all double-date again sometime."

"Since our last one was ruined, you mean?" Draco drawled as he leaned forward causing his bangs to cascade around his face.

"Sounds great," Lucas smiled. "Actually, Hermione said her birthday's coming up soon."

"That's right!" Harry mentally slapped himself. "Next month. That's right after our next Quidditch match."

"Yeah, well she wanted to go someplace special and she was talking about going on a trip somewhere and getting a hotel."

"They have wizard hotels?" Harry asked, as all eyes strayed to him.

Draco snorted sarcastically. "Don't mind him. He grew up in the muggle world."

"Of course they have wizard hotels! They're bloody awesome! The ones that are hidden away from muggles are the best! That way magic is allowed to be used and you don't have to worry about someone seeing you," Tavis grinned.

"That's what I've heard as well," Lucas said. "I'm sure Hermione was planning on inviting you all to come since it's for her birthday, but she said she hasn't gotten around to making invitations."

"It sounds like a great idea," Harry said, glancing at Draco.

"Not if she's going to invite the Weasel," Draco drawled, gazing back at him.

Harry nodded. "I'll Owl Hermione and talk to her about that. Only if Ron is going to give us an apology would I want to go there when he's there."

"What did he do?" Lucas asked curiously as Tavis leaned closer.

"Draco can tell you," Harry said, nudging the blond gently.

Glancing at him with a raised eyebrow, Draco proceeded to tell them everything that happened. By the time he was done Tavis was looking enraged and Lucas was looking confused.

"That is definitely not something a real friend would do! It's bloody outrageous! Not to mention illegal!" Tavis exclaimed.

"Is that girl still concerned about you being hers?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "I've ignored her so far and she seems serious with Darian so…I think she asked that personal question just out of her own nosey curiosity."

"Just be glad she didn't ask what positions you two did," Tavis pointed out.

Draco snorted and took a sip from his drink. "Too bad. I'm sure that would've traumatized Weasley."

Harry just smiled and shook his head. "Ginny hasn't really been bugging me. It was probably her last attempt, since she was most likely angry that I had lied about Lucas being my boyfriend. Now that she knows it's Draco, she still realizes I have a boyfriend and that I'm not interested in her so I don't think she'll be a problem."

"Good," Lucas tilted his head, reaching over to pat Harry's arm.

"Oy Draco," Tavis said, leaning sideways. "I love the earring. Have you had that before?"

Harry grinned and turned to the blond who took to the compliment by giving a sexy half-smirk.

"I just got it today," he answered, moving his bangs so they could get a better look.

"It's hot," Tavis commented, giving him a wink.

"I think so too," Harry grinned coyly.

Draco's eyebrow rose in amusement. "Well, you would, Potter," he drawled. "It was your idea in the first place."

"Was it really? Hot stuff!" Tavis exclaimed, giving Harry a thumbs-up. "So, Draco, you should show that off at the party tonight."

"Sure," Draco smirked, glancing at Harry to show that he wanted to attend the party.

Harry just smiled in response. They hadn't been to a party in a while, because of the piling up of homework and such. It would be good to get some stress out, especially after the Ron incident.

Later that night, after eating dinner, both he and Draco set out to their own rooms to get dressed. Once Harry was done he met up in Draco's common room and waited for him to come out. The blond opened the door moments later dressed in real black, leather pants and his silky, silver shirt. Harry saw him and couldn't help but trail his eyes over the blond's body. The earring did wonders with the silver shirt and Harry smiled up at him. He wore his dark jeans and a tight, silky black long-sleeved shirt.

"You're all dressed up tonight," Harry said, approaching him.

Draco shrugged, crossing his arms which exposed part of his collar bone. "Most of my clothes are dressy."

"You look very nice. Are those new?" Harry gestured to his pants.

"No. I just never felt like wearing them," Draco's said, shaking his head so his hair fell back from his face.

Harry smiled, knowing that Draco was feeling confident in his look because of the earring. The two of them made their way to the Lilac Common Room to see that it hadn't begun to get crowded yet. However, the silencing charms had already been placed around the room for when more people showed up. As they entered, they were greeted by Ambreen, Dahlia, Angelica (a girl whom Harry had seen around but hadn't really talked to) and of course Nicholas, Danny and Tavis.

"You two ready to party?" Nicholas swung his arms around them.

Clearly he had already started drinking. Draco gave him an irritated look as he tried to pry the boy's arm from around him.

"Come join us in a drinking game," Tavis said, urging them.

"Do you want to?" Harry asked Draco.

The blond crossed his arms casually. "Sure, why not?"

"Alright! And you Harry?"

"Sure," Harry smiled.

"Excellent! Come on then!" Nicholas exclaimed, gesturing for them to follow him.

They all sat in a circle and a few others began joining. Ambreen and Angelica decided to join as well and soon it was a group of ten.

"Okay, does everyone know how to play _Sorcery or Sentence_?" Nicholas announced.

"No," Harry answered immediately.

A couple others shook their heads and Nicholas began to explain: "Okay, we have a deck of famous wizard and witch cards. The deck goes in the center of the circle and we each are given numbers. We can magically pull them from a hat or just assign them, but then the oldest person in the group draws a card from the center and summons a random number from their wand. The person with that number then is asked about this particular wizard or witch and if they don't answer correctly they have to drink.

"And the more important or rare the wizards or witches, the more you have to drink. And then it goes down the line and each person pulls a card and chooses a random victim. But you can spin it around a little. You can, for instance, say three false things about the card you chose and one truth and choose several victims. Then whoever guesses the truth doesn't have to drink but the others do. Sometimes we just start making up new rules as we go, so it sort of flows on its own, but you get the picture."

Harry was seated next to Draco and as the game began he was assigned the number three while Draco was assigned six. Harry knew quite a few of them, but many he had never heard of. So he was quickly becoming drunk. Draco, who had grown up in the wizard world, like several of the others, knew a lot more. He still had gone through a couple bottles of Black Dragon so he was becoming mildly drunk. However, by the end of round three, Harry could definitely tell that if he had any more he wouldn't be able to walk. So he chose not to enter into round four and Draco joined him.

The two of them walked toward the couch and Harry slumped down on it. Draco sat down as well and rested up against the armrest. Harry gazed at the blond who had propped his legs up and smiling he crawled toward Draco. He then slid quickly up to the blond and lay down on him, resting his head by Draco's.

"Potter what are you doing?" Draco asked, gazing down at him.

"Lying on top of you," Harry answered honestly, tilting his head up to stare at him.

Draco snorted. "You're completely smashed."

"Not completely. I understand our conversation," Harry joked, earning an amused smirk from the blond.

"Right, well there is the rest of the couch you could lie on, you know."

"I know," Harry said, raising his head a bit.

He leaned down toward Draco's pierced ear and kissed the side of his face. Then he trailed his lips down to the earring and sucked on the entire lobe.

"Potter," Draco said, turning his head. "Do you have any shame?"

"Fine," Harry rolled his eyes a bit. "Just one kiss then."

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously as Harry sloppily pressed his lips to the blond's. Very shortly, Harry slipped his tongue into Draco's mouth as he trailed a hand down the other boy's chest. Their kiss broke and Harry smiled, caressing the blond's chest.

"Do you want to leave?"

Draco's eyes glimmered softly with the dim light of the room and Harry kissed him again as the blond began to rise. Smirking as Harry nearly stumbled off the couch, Draco grasped his arm to steady him. The two of them slipped away from the party and headed toward Harry's common room (since it was closer). Even before they got inside his room, Harry wrapped his arms around him and began kissing him passionately. Their tongues touched and caressed and once Harry got the door open he nearly fell inside, but thankfully he grabbed onto Draco's arm.

The door closed and Harry began kissing him fervently, raking his fingers along Draco's back. He was trying to reach for his wand as well to take off his clothes. Groaning softly as their bodies pressed together, Harry grabbed his wand. When he opened his eyes, he saw something lying on the bed and suddenly broke the kiss. Draco stared at him, having been entranced by their make-out session. His lips were red from kissing and his eyes had begun to glaze over.

"What's that?" Harry wondered aloud.

Draco turned as Harry slipped out of their embrace and went to pick up the letter. It was a regular white envelope only it had a strange cursive _M_in the corner and when Harry flipped it over there was a seal placed on the back to keep it closed.

"It's from the Ministry," Draco said.

"What? But why would they send me a letter?" Harry asked, sitting down on the bed anxiously.

Slowly, Draco sat down next to him and Harry opened it:

_To: Harry Potter_

_It is my obligation to inform you that you are needed at the Ministry this coming Friday at nine in the morning. Some serious allegations against you have been brought up. Lucius Malfoy and his wife Narcissa Malfoy claim that their son, Draco, has been wrongfully and illegally forced into intimacy with you and is possibly under either a love potion or a serious controlling spell. You must appear before Ministry members for the trial and Draco is required as well. You are allowed to pay for a representative if you wish, but if you do not show up on Friday it will be assumed you are guilty of these charges and will be sentenced accordingly._

_Signed,_

_Minister Scimageour_

"I can't…they can't…!" Harry struggled with words as he stared down at it with his mouth open.

"What? What is it?" Draco asked, reaching out his hand toward it.

Harry handed it to him, still speechless and as Draco read it his eyebrows furrowed angrily but his face also paled slightly.

"Can they seriously do that?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Draco drawled darkly. "Anyone can be allowed to make charges against anyone else to the Ministry."

"I can't believe this!" Harry hissed angrily, standing up. "It doesn't even really give me enough time for an attorney and I don't have you under some sort of spell! Why can't they get that through their heads?"

"They're not going to so easily roll over, Potter. You have understand who they are," Draco said coldly.

Harry sighed angrily. "Okay, well obviously we have to show up."

Draco glared at the floor and Harry sat down next to him. "Draco? Are you alright with going up against them, or…?"

"If you're insinuating that I'm going to go running back to them, that's not an option even if I wanted it," Draco drawled coolly as he glanced at him. "I've come this far and I've already changed my name."

"I know, but…actually admitting to your parents' faces that you're willingly with me is a really, _really_ big step. And I know we don't have much choice in the matter, but I wanted to make sure that you're alright with this," Harry said quietly.

"My parents are most likely going to make it as painful as possible," Draco drawled, still staring at the floor. "But there's an easy way to get past confronting them."

"How?" Harry asked.

"We go to the Minister ourselves with the claim that these charges are false and we get questioned under Veritaserum. My parents won't think that we'd do this—they expect a full drawn-out case in which they can try and bribe me back to them and ruin your reputation. They expect that I'm being forced whether by black-mail or a spell or something so when we do that it'll settle the whole case and it probably won't even go in the papers."

"Great! That's what we should do then. This way we won't have to face them ourselves, right?"

"Well, we can request that we don't see them. I mean, they will be there Friday so there's a chance we'll run into them, but this is the safest way to get this over with and prove your innocence at least," Draco explained.

Harry's lips curled into a soft smile and he wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders. "I know how hard it'll be to finally get this big step out of the way. This is the real confrontation that will show them for sure you're not going back. I want you to know I'll be here for you, if you want to talk about it afterward or anything."

Draco was silent for a few seconds then he turned to him and shrugged. "I'll be fine. You should probably respond to the Minister and request to meet him privately on Friday."

"Okay," Harry said softly. "Would you like to sleep in my room tonight?"

Draco was again silent but he finally nodded. Harry watched as he waved his wand and got into bed and then he proceeded to write the Minister a letter, which he would send in the morning. What had started out as a wonderful evening had abruptly been shattered. But if Draco was right, they could get it over with easily.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I'm pressed for time to get this up so that's why there aren't any individual comments this time! Thanks again!


	23. Confrontation

**Captivation**

**Chapter 22: Confrontation**

A letter came addressed to Harry by the next afternoon from the Minister agreeing to the Veritaserum. Harry bet it was because the Minister really didn't want to go through all the paper work and publicity of a full-out trial, which he was glad for. Draco seemed less talkative and energetic most likely due to the fact that he would have to deal with his parents. Hopefully this would be the last time. Draco had told him that he wouldn't go back to his parents, but Harry was still afraid that somehow his parents would force him.

That night after Quidditch practice, Harry lost sight of Draco. After checking the showers Harry went to Draco's common room. He approached his door and knocked softly. Harry stood in an anxious silence until the door finally opened after a couple of minutes. He stepped inside quickly and caught sight of Draco as he closed the door. The blond had his shirt off, but was still wearing his jeans. Glancing around the room, Harry noticed that several books were opened on his desk and he assumed the other boy had been studying.

"Were you working on homework?" Harry asked, gesturing to the desk.

Draco shrugged and then lay down on the bed. "I was, but I'm too tired to finish it."

Harry gazed at him, noticing his hair which was spread out over the pillows. Some loose bangs glazed over the side of his face, nearly touching his left eye. His earring was visible and it glimmered softly adding to his appearance. Draco had lifted one arm above his head and was staring up at the ceiling. Harry couldn't resist and slipped over to him. He crawled up on the bed and as it moved Draco shifted his head to glance at him.

Scooting up close to him, Harry stared at him as he rested his head on the other pillow.

"Draco, if you want to talk at all—"

"There's nothing to talk about," Draco drawled quietly, inhaling deeply.

"Hey," Harry said firmly, moving his body even closer so he was lying on the same pillow as the blond. "Draco, look at me."

Harry gently touched his arm and the other boy turned his head. "Potter, I don't want to talk."

"Okay, but I want you to know," Harry said quietly as he rose up a hand and placed it gently on Draco's cheek, "that when or if you do want to talk I'll be here. A lot of times it helps to talk about it, even though you might want to forget it. I _promise_ you, Draco," Harry emphasized as he trailed his fingers along the blond's cheek and down his neck, "that whatever happens, no matter how rude or demanding or threatening your parents are that once it's over you'll be entirely free to live your own life and be happy. Of course it might be hard at first earning your own money, but I know you're talented. You're going to get a great job right after this school and I bet anything you'll become famous in no time."

Harry's fingers continued to trail up and down his neck, leaving goose-bumps in their place. Draco's eyes dimmed as he stared at Harry tiredly. The blond didn't say anything but Harry just silently comforted him. He hardly registered Draco's eyes closing as he trailed his nails down the blond's chest and back up. He wasn't sure how long he did this for, but eventually he too fell asleep.

By the time Friday came, Harry had gotten both him and Draco excused from class because of Ministry business. Niall was the only one who knew why they were going to be absent, but the teachers just knew they had been excused. So at around nine in the morning he and Draco apparated to the Ministry building. When they went inside they took one of the lifts to the first level and headed toward the Minister's office. Harry knocked lightly on the door and seconds later Minister Scrimageour appeared.

"Ah, Harry, Draco," he nodded toward the two of them. "I have everything set up inside including five witnesses to the questioning. I'll need one of you at a time to come in."

Harry turned to the blond. "Do you want to go first?"

Draco shrugged and Harry sensed that he was nervous. Then the blond walked in and Minister Scrimageour gave Harry a small smile before he shut the door. Harry summoned a chair and sat waiting for his turn. It took about twenty minutes before the door opened again. Draco came out looking a bit dazed and Harry figured he was still under the effects of the Veritaserum.

"Hey," Harry said softly as he approached. "How did it go?"

"Alright," Draco shrugged.

Harry gripped his hand gently and Draco stopped and gazed up at him silently. Wordlessly, Harry gave him a small smile and released the blond's warm hand and headed into the room. When he entered, his heart immediately began to pound as he caught sight of the lone chair in the center of the office surrounded by six people. The Minister was seated at the head of the circle, followed by various wizards and witches—a couple of which Harry remembered from his trial during his fifth year.

"Ah, Harry, come on in," Minister Scrimageour smiled widely, gesturing to the chair.

Licking his dry lips nervously, Harry approached the chair and sat down. All eyes were upon him and Harry saw that some of them had notebooks out with quills in order to record his words. Swallowing, Harry gazed at the Minister who nodded toward one of the Ministry members.

"Harry, we're going to give you the Veritaserum and we'll wait a couple minutes for it to sink in, alright?"

Nodding wordlessly, Harry watched as the one Ministry member approached him with a vial. Once he was handed the vial, Harry gulped it down quickly. The empty vial was taken away and Harry sat awkwardly in the chair. The six Ministry members (including the Minister himself) that surrounded him waited patiently for five minutes until Harry's eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Now, Harry," the Minister shifted in his seat. "Do you realize the allegations that have been made against you?"

"Yes," Harry answered instantly in a passive voice.

"Is it true that you and Draco are…more than friends?" the Minister asked, after hesitating briefly.

"Yes," Harry answered.

"Is Draco your boyfriend then?"

"Yes," Harry responded, staring straight ahead.

"The relationship you both have, is it mutual?"

"Yes."

The Minister shifted again and Harry vaguely heard scribbling going on around him.

"Are either you or Draco under a love potion?"

"No," Harry responded.

"Are you either you or Draco under a spell?"

"No."

"Hmm," the Minister commented, staring at him while rubbing his chin. "Harry, do you know why Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy would accuse you of, as they put it, seducing their son?"

"Draco's parents don't care about his happiness," Harry answered in monotone. "They only want him because he is their only heir. Draco doesn't want to marry and he doesn't want them controlling him any longer. His parents don't want to believe that me and Draco really like each other because his parents raised him to hate non-purebloods and especially me."

"So Draco _wants_ to be with you, as your boyfriend?" the Minister asked quietly.

"Yes. He agreed to date me and told me he doesn't want to go back to his parents."

"Okay, Harry, one last question because the potion will be wearing off about now. You and Draco _chose_ to be with each other, as in being boyfriends, and there are no false, illegal or otherwise sinister happenings concerning your relationship, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," Harry answered.

No more than a minute later, Harry blinked feeling rather dazed. He saw that a few Ministry members were jotting things down. Rubbing at his eyes, Harry glanced at the Minister who stood up.

"Thank you Harry for answering the questions. You may wait outside while we look at everything together."

Harry nodded and quickly slipped out of the room. Once outside, he saw that the chair was empty. Draco wasn't anywhere in sight. Wondering if he went to the bathroom, Harry walked down the hallway. Voices caught his attention and Harry began slowing down as he drew nearer.

"Do you have any idea how negatively this is going to affect our reputation?"

Harry stilled, feeling his heart stop in his chest when he recognized the voice. The cold, hissing voice of Lucius Malfoy. Hurriedly, Harry peered around the corner. His eyes widened as he saw that Lucius was gripping Draco's arm rather harshly and was proceeding to drag him down the hallway.

"Father! STOP!" Draco retorted as he tried to pull his arm free.

"I don't know what has gotten into you Draco, but this is going to stop now!" Lucius hissed, tightening the grip on his arm. "Your mother told me she saw you and Potter at Hogsmeade. She said it was possible you both came there _together_," Lucius' eyes narrowed. "Is that true? Tell me Draco!"

"I…," Draco trailed off, looking very nervous. "Mother said she disowned me!"

"So she did, but you can always earn your place back!" Lucius retorted through clenched teeth. "You better not be friends, boy or else there will be serious punishments when we get home. Look what he has done!" Lucius hissed, holding up his arm where there was a shimmering black bracelet.

"The Ministry keeps tabs on me every day and every night. They've taken away my wand and they've bound my apparation so I can only apparate with their permission! My house is going to be constantly watched as well as all my assets, which means I can't bribe anyone or sneak away for even a second! Most of our family, who is left, such as your aunt Bellatrix has been locked away in Azkaban and are possibly going to face death-sentence or at least a life-sentence in Azkaban! I was lucky enough to be able to convince them that I was serving the Dark Lord out of fear for my life and family and managed only not to be tested with Veritaserum because there was already evidence of my being on the Dark Lord's side. I _had_ to plead guilty or they would've given me Veritaserum to make certain! And then I would've been locked away forever! Is that what you want, boy?" Lucius snapped maliciously as he pulled on his arm.

Draco was looking quite pale now and unexpectedly Lucius grabbed his chin harshly with his free hand, forcing Draco's neck back.

"You _will_ come home and you will not disappoint this family!"

"Let him go!"

Lucius' head jerked up as Harry approached him quickly with his wand out. Draco could only stare at Harry from the corner of his eye since his father had his jaw gripped painfully tight.

"Potter!" Lucius snarled, glaring at him. "I should've known you'd be here!"

"Let him go," Harry repeated slowly with a deadly glare as he pointed his wand at the older man.

Sneering, Lucius kept a firm hold on Draco's chin but released his arm. "Are you threatening me, Potter? Trust me Potter, don't even think about challenging me," Lucius' gaze darkened with hatred. "I don't know how you convinced my son to join you, but there is no way you're going to take him from me. Once the Ministry finds out what tricks you've got up your sleeve—"

"I haven't got any tricks," Harry snapped, holding his wand steady. "Release him or I'll make you."

Glaring venomously, Lucius suddenly released Draco's chin as he flung him backward, causing him to fall.

"Draco!" Harry exclaimed.

He moved forward in order to rush to Draco's side but he was blocked by an angry Lucius Malfoy.

"You think you can just barge into my family, Potter?" Lucius snarled, approaching him and Harry stepped back.

"I'm warning you!" Harry snapped.

Lucius stopped about five feet from him, sneering. "_You're_ warning me? I bet you think so highly of yourself, don't you Potter? Because of your newfound fame?" his eyes glared icily. "Well, if _I_had been Dark Lord, I wouldn't have been concerned with fighting you and proving to the world that I can defeat such a pathetic boy. No, I'd kill you with my own hands just to get you out of the way, which was a mistake the Dark Lord made, wasn't it Potter? You're not special, you never were," he said as he stepped forward.

"You managed to survive out of luck, help from Dumbledore and others who _admired_ you. You don't have any special powers. I bet I could've killed you that night in the graveyard," his eyes narrowed as a malicious smirk took place. "All you are is a pathetic, lonely orphan who wants to prove himself to the world. And now as we all find out," Lucius' lips curled, "you're a faggot as well. That's not surprising Potter. Being since you were never strong enough to be a man."

Harry was so enraged at this point that all he could do was glare at the man. He still held his wand toward the other man waiting for him to make his move.

"But if you think for one second that you can have my son, that you can turn him into a pathetic gay and hanging on your every word, Potter, I'll make sure you suffer endlessly!" Lucius hissed coldly. "My son is going to be married to Cliodene Peakes!"

"You can't force him to marry someone he doesn't like or even know!" Harry shouted angrily.

Lucius' eyes narrowed dangerously and his lips curled into a cold, enraged sneer. "You have no say in it, Potter! You are just like your father, sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong and you certainly deserve the same fate!"

"SHUT UP!" Harry exclaimed venomously, shakily pointing his wand at him. He was so close to shouting a hex.

Lucius laughed coldly and he took a step forward. "You're a pathetic waste of life, Potter. You should've died much earlier but I promise you if you try and interfere with my family you will get what you deserve."

"You can't threaten me! You don't even have any power since the Ministry is keeping tabs on you!" Harry countered.

"You think that will stop me! I've wanted to get rid of you since the first time I laid eyes on you!"

"I defeated Voldemort," Harry's eyes narrowed. "You're not half as bad compared to him."

Lucius' lips curled upward in a cold sneer. "Perhaps I'm not as intimidating in appearance Potter but I certainly have more of an ability to get rid of you. See, although the Dark Lord was powerful he was also very foolish; overlooking the smaller details. And he rarely did things himself unless necessary, you see. If it had been me in his place that night in the graveyard I would've killed you while you were still tied to that tombstone. It would've been very fitting. Or perhaps…I would've tortured you some while you were tied there helplessly before finally sending you off with your parents where you belong!"

Harry's wand was shaking violently now as he felt anger erupt ten fold. He didn't even realize that Lucius had taken another step closer.

"And now that you've miraculously survived the war and even become a hero once again, while we all know it's false, you think that you can have control over my son. There are plenty of other effeminate males out there like yourself, boy, so go shag one of them, but don't even think about trying to seduce my son. If you so much as put one finger on him you'll be more than sorry!" Lucius hissed.

"You see, Potter, though you can't understand what it is to be a pure-blood, my son is destined to be great; a different kind of great than you have been named because he has earned it from prestige and his blood, not from rumors and false accusations. And he will marry an upper-class, Slytherin girl," Lucius said as Harry stared at him silently, feeling his throat constrict. "In fact the wedding plans are already being finalized Potter. Draco will become Draco Malfoy-Peakes with a worthy girl and you will never come within a mile of him again!"

Harry's eyes strayed to Draco who had picked himself up off the floor and was holding his arm. It was that split second that Harry glanced at Draco that Lucius unexpectedly lurched forward and knocked Harry's wrist, causing his wand to fly out of his hand. Harry stumbled a bit surprised and before he could react Lucius smacked him so hard across the face that Harry tripped and fell, wincing as his knee slammed against the floor.

He let out a painful groan as his hair was suddenly grabbed roughly. Lucius forced his neck back, much like he had done to Draco, and bent his face toward Harry's.

"Let me tell you something, Potter," Lucius hissed while his cold, cruel eyes glared into his.

Up close, Harry realized that Lucius' eyes weren't at all like Draco's. They were a dark grey whereas Draco's were a light, light blue mixed with silver. Much of the time his eyes appeared more silver (a color twice as bright as Lucius' and softer) than blue, but there was always that tint of light-blue in the silver that didn't come from his mother or father.

"You will release whatever hold you have over my son. You will never see him or step foot near my family again or I'll kill you, is that clear?" Lucius spat, jerking his hair painfully.

"You better not threaten me," Harry breathed heavily as he tried to break away from his hold. "If the Minister finds out it's all over for you!"

Lucius just sneered. "If I have to kill you, I will Potter."

"You don't have any control over Draco anymore! He's—"

Harry's sentenced died as his air-supply was suddenly cut-off. Lucius had squeezed his free hand around his throat on the very sides of his neck.

"You think that because you're famous and because everyone adores you that you can get whatever you want!" Lucius hissed, tilting Harry's neck painfully back as he held his throat tightly. "Let me tell you something ,Potter! Just because pure-bloods are dying does not mean that I'm going to let pathetic wastes like yourself get away with corrupting my family! My son has always, and will continue to always, walk in my footsteps!"

Suddenly, Lucius' free hand came around Harry's neck so both hands were blocking his wind-pipe. Harry's hands jerked up out of reaction and tried to pry the older man's fingers from his throat. Unfortunately, because he was growing faint and his wand was too far away, he couldn't fight back. Slowly, Lucius leaned forward until his nose was almost against Harry's.

"I'm going to enjoy watching your last breath slip away Potter," he sneered maliciously as Harry struggled, digging his nails into the man's flesh to try and get him to let go. "And do you know what it means for me? Not only will you finally be gone, but I could even take the place as Dark Lord myself for doing what Lord Voldemort could not—getting rid of the last Potter!"

Harry choked and struggled, feeling incredibly dizzy as the lack of oxygen began to get to him. His eyelids began to get weak and he knew he couldn't hold on any longer. Lucius suddenly hissed painfully and released Harry's neck. Coughing heavily, Harry tried to regain his breathing and he gazed up to see Draco pointing his wand at his father. Although he was pale, his eyebrows were furrowed angrily.

Lucius rubbed his sore hand and stared so coldly at Draco. "You _dare_ point your wand at your father!"

"You…You are not my father anymore," Draco managed to get out. Harry could tell he was trying to look brave but it was obvious he was uncertain of what his father would do.

Lucius' lips curled into a deep frown and his eyes narrowed furiously. "Are you saying that you're going to choose _this_ over your family?" he pointed a finger in Harry's direction. "You have a duty to marry and you will uphold that, boy, or else!" he hissed.

"I'm not your son any longer," Draco responded, keeping his wand steady. "Mother disowned me and I changed my name. I'm no longer a Malfoy so I don't have those duties! The only duties I have now are to myself."

"How _dare_ you change your name!" Lucius bellowed furiously and Draco winced. "We are one of the last remaining pure-blood families—ones that can uphold what Salazar Slytherin firmly believed in and now you dare deny that heritage!" he snarled, getting to his feet and approaching him. "You could've made yourself something and now you want to choose a Gryffindor over your Slytherin family! Not just any Gryffindor, you want to choose _Harry Potter_ over your Slytherin heritage? What would all your friends say, hmm? What would your aunt and uncle say? What would your whole family say? You think your mother and I will tolerate this, you spineless, worthless brat!" Lucius raised his voice, clenching his fists. "We'll leave you poor and for dead on the streets unless you agree to _never_ speak to Potter again and come back to your rightful place!"

"I have a scholarship now and a loan so I can pay my own way," Draco said coolly.

Lucius stared at him and Harry could see the fury flickering in his eyes.

"You…," Lucius hissed dangerously as his fists clenched. "You ungrateful—"

Harry knew it was going to happen before it did. Lucius raised an arm to Draco ready to strike him hard across the face when Harry jumped to his feet and intervened. Lucius' fist came across Harry's cheek so hard that he fell over. His cheek was practically numb and it hurt to move his jaw. Lucius just glared down at him as he began to pick himself up. Suddenly, Lucius lunged forward and snatched Draco's wand right out of his hand. Being too stunned, Draco could only step back right before Lucius grabbed him by the hair with his free hand. Draco hissed in pain and Lucius stared down at him.

"You're coming home whether or not you like it, boy, and when we get home there are going to be _serious_ punishments!" Lucius spat in his face. "I don't care if you _are_ under a spell, you will _not_ say no to me, understand?"

"Ah! Let go!" Draco said as his head was pulled back painfully.

"Not until you agree to come home and change your name back!" Lucius hissed. "You will do as I say! I didn't put up with you for all these years to have you run away from a chance at more wealth and power! Once you marry her family we'll have enough wealth and support to make a new Death Eater group beneath the Ministry's eyes, even if I have to wait ten years! You are not going to ruin my chance for glory you worthless—"

Harry, who had been on the floor in pain, finally recovered. He couldn't grab his wand, which was too close to Lucius, so he flung himself at the older man and forced him to release Draco's hair. Thankfully, the wand fell from Lucius' hand, but he pushed Draco harshly, causing him to fly backward and fall to the floor. Then he wheeled around and Harry blocked the punch that came at him. He knew he needed to get to his wand.

"You're the one who has done this Potter! What have you done to my son?" he shouted, lunging at him full force.

Harry tried to jump out of the way, but Lucius rammed into him and grabbed his arm, twisting it painfully. He cried out in pain and Lucius then swung him around and slammed him up against the wall. Harry's back stung badly and he tried to kick Lucius away but the older man had the advantage. He twisted his wrist again to keep him from struggling. Harry had a pained expression on his face as Lucius glared at him with such hatred and ferocity that he was certain the older man was going to kill him for sure.

"Nobody messes with my family, especially not you Potter! You've been a thorn in my side for far too long!" he spat, twisting Harry's arm again.

Then Lucius grabbed at Harry's throat, pushing down hard on Harry's wind-pipe. Harry gagged, trying to fight him off with his free hand to no avail. His vision blurred as Lucius strangled him, but he was released when Lucius hands were unexpectedly torn away from his throat. Along with that, the older man was thrown backward, sliding across the floor (much like what happened when Dobby protected him). Harry collapsed to the floor, coughing and wheezing as he clutched at his throat.

"Here."

Still holding his throat, Harry gazed up at Draco who held his hand out to him. Giving a shaky smile in thanks, Harry grasped his hand and was helped up. Suddenly, Harry glanced down and around.

"Wait, where's my wand?"

"I'm going to teach you a lesson Potter!"

He wheeled around to see Lucius, with his hair a bit disheveled, pointing Harry's wand toward them. Draco's eyes widened in surprise and Harry suddenly stepped in front of the blond to protect him as he reached out for Draco's wand.

"Now, Potter, I'm going to make sure you realize your place! Nobody interferes with me or my family!"

Lucius hissed a spell but due to the bracelet on his arm nothing happened. Cursing, Lucius threw down Harry's wand and instead began to approach them rapidly.

Harry remained in front of Draco, trying to push the boy even further behind him. Lucius opened his mouth but before any words could come out another voice bellowed "Lucius!"

Harry was so relieved to see the Minister for once.

"Lucius Malfoy!" Minister Scrimageour shouted angrily. "You were set free on House Arrest for five years with the promise of not attacking anyone ever again. And yet here you are attacking Mr. Potter."

Ministry members appeared all around them and most of them had their wands pointed at Lucius.

"Minister," Lucius said calmly while raising his hands in the air, "I'm terribly sorry. Potter upset me because he has turned my son against me!"

"Your son is acting of his own free will," Minister Scrimageour stated firmly as Lucius gazed toward Harry and Draco in shock. "Both Harry and Draco came to me with the proposition that instead of a trial, because Harry said he was innocent, that I could question them with Veritaserum. I have questioned both of them and neither one of them is under any sort of love potion or spell. They are both acting of their own free will. And furthermore," he continued, as Lucius stared with cold, unbelieving eyes at them, "your son is no longer your son. It seems that his surname has been changed."

Lucius' eyes bored into Draco's but he just looked away. The Minister stepped forward, crossing his arms sternly.

"Minister, Lucius attempted to use my wand against us but he was unable to," Harry said.

Lucius' eyes bored into Harry's but he just stared back firmly. He wasn't afraid of the older man, not like Draco was. Draco had been controlled by him for so long that it was probably the hardest thing he had to do standing up to him.

Minister Scrimageour crossed his arms. "I'm afraid I don't quite trust you, Mr. Malfoy, since you so eagerly picked up a wand recently after your sentence. Not only that but you turned it against your own son, whom you disowned. So I'm going to have to take your wife's wand away from her as well. I'm afraid that even with that bracelet you're still going to try to use magic through her. Harry is innocent so all charges will be dropped. You'd do best to remember not to touch a wand or try anything like that again lest you want to spend a lifetime in Azkaban."

Lucius' fists were clenched and Harry knew all plans of him trying to become the new Dark Lord and continue his wealth and heritage using Draco were diminished. Lucius knew that he had to do as the Minister requested or he'd be sent to the prison. Glaring coldly toward Draco and Harry, Lucius wheeled around and was escorted by Ministry members. As he disappeared down the corridor, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"You both are free to go now," Minister Scrimageour said.

Harry nodded and the Minister, along with a couple other Ministry members, walked back down the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked the blond.

Draco stared down at the floor. "I'm fine, Potter."

Harry knew that he just needed some time. "Okay. Let's go back then."

Wordlessly, Draco nodded and the two of them apparated back to the school. It was that same day that an article in the Daily Prophet came out:

**The True Confession of Harry Potter's Love-Life**

_It seems that rumors have been surrounding Harry Potter, as I believed as well, and his "affairs" with a mysterious boy. Even I wrote an article about him earlier about having intimate relations with a certain boy, Draco Malfoy, but I was mistaken for the Malfoy heir is no longer among us (he mysteriously vanished during the war and it's possible he had been killed). Because the boy in the picture with Harry Potter (when they were kissing in Hogsmeade) looks similar to the Malfoy heir, it was an obvious mistake on my part. And everything I had heard about the two of them before was all based on rumors._

_What I have figured out is that his boyfriend's name is actually Draco Merlin, a Slytherin who graduated from Hogwarts in the same year but who wasn't connected to You-Know-Who. They both confessed that they are dating and that there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary about their relationship._

"_Draco and I have been dating for about a month," Harry Potter says. "And while I know people are curious about me I do appreciate some privacy about my life."_

_While he wants his own privacy as anybody else, he has at least told us the absolute truth, which is that he is gay and that he does have a boyfriend currently. The two of them go to the Quidditch Academy of Scotland and both hope to someday play on a professional Quidditch team. There you all have it—the truth is out. And now hopefully these rumors can be put to rest._

_Rita Skeeter_

**XXXXX**

A few weeks had passed since the confrontation with Draco's father at the Ministry. The Quidditch match was in a week and shortly afterward was Hermione's eighteenth birthday. Just as Lucas had said, she planned to have it in a wizard hotel and she invited both Harry and Draco. From what she said, Ron and his family were going to be gone anyway on a vacation so she had told him not to worry about it. Ron knew about the party and in his letter to her didn't mention Harry or Draco. He had only said he would bring her back a birthday present. Hermione reassured him that Ron would eventually get over his grudge, but only time would tell.

Since the team was preparing for their next Quidditch match, Harry and Draco became preoccupied with practice and studies. Despite being busy, they still managed to get together in the dining hall. Harry had given Draco a little bit of space since the blond had confronted his father and now both of his parents would understand he wouldn't be coming back. It wasn't that he distanced himself from the other boy, he still hung out with him between classes, but when night came Harry sometimes kissed Draco after practice and they went to their separate bedrooms.

By this time, Harry had pretty much figured out how to interpret Draco's moods. Draco was a caring person, but he showed it more subtly. And slowly since he began breaking ties with his family he had begun to open up more and not only expressing more feelings but his sarcasm became part of his endearing personality; it was no longer cold and distant. And Harry knew, just like when their relationship had been pushed too far because of Ron's dirty trick, that Draco just needed a little bit of space to heal. Breaking completely from his family was a huge step. The blond had been nervous at first, but since he went through with it and even stood up to his father, Harry knew that things would only get better from there.

Finally, the beginning of the second semester Quidditch matches began and the team they were up against was an American team. Unfortunately, their tactics were a bit more brutal (though within the foul guidelines) and they managed to get ahead of them. Harry was desperately searching for the snitch and a couple times he glanced down at Draco, who was sweating and seemingly exhausted (as was everyone). The game had lasted much longer than their other matches. Because they were all tired, it was much more difficult to score goals and block. Although the other team was tired as well, they had managed to keep ten points ahead of them.

And unfortunately, to Harry's disappointment, despite his fast new broom he hadn't anticipated the sudden brutality of the other team's beaters knocking bludgers in his way at the same time in both directions. If he had had a little more energy he would've been able to dodge them faster, but that split second allowed the other team's Seeker to reach the snitch first. He knew there would be times that he wouldn't be able to catch the snitch, like the time the Dementors had come and ruined the match, but it still made him feel angry that he hadn't reacted faster.

Captain Murdoch didn't seem at all angry—she said they had played well and she knew they were exhausted. She even told them that while they had lost this match, if they won the others they could still compete in the mock championships which occurred at the end of the year. By the time he got to the showers with his other teammates, he could barely stand.

The next morning was thankfully Saturday so he could sleep in. He did sleep in until ten but then he decided to get up. He went to Draco's common room to see if he was still in his room. When no one answered, Harry went down to the dining hall and didn't see him there either. After grabbing some food, Harry decided to head to the library wondering if Draco had gotten up early to study. Just as he suspected, the blond was lounging on the couch in the library by the fireplace. He had a book in his lap that he was reading and several strewn about on the table nearby the couch.

Harry smiled and approached him. "Hey, I brought you some food."

Draco glanced up at him and nodded his thanks. "I'm not really that hungry."

"Alright. Well, I'll put it here just in case," Harry said, setting the plate on the table.

He watched as Draco nodded silently, scribbling down some notes from the book he was reading. Toeing off his shoes, Harry climbed up onto the arm rest of the couch and began crawling toward the blond. Without hesitation, Harry squeezed next to the blond, lying snuggly against his side.

"What are you studying?" Harry asked, laying his head next to his.

Draco turned and stared at him. "It's for _Clever Quidditch Tricks_ class. We have an in-class essay on Monday about what we're to read over the weekend. I thought I'd get a head start on it."

"Well aren't you a good student," Harry teased, smiling at him.

Draco snorted and turned the page. "I'm probably going to be here for a while, you know."

"That's okay," Harry said, moving his head to rest against Draco's shoulder. "I'll stay here with you."

Glancing at him briefly, Draco went back to reading not seeming to mind that Harry was using his shoulder as a pillow.

"Hermione's birthday party is next Saturday," Harry said quietly. "It sounds like it's going to be fun."

"Yeah, especially since Weasley won't be there," Draco commented, turning another.

Harry let out a soft laugh and nodded. "Yeah. So, what do you think of Lucas and Hermione?"

Draco shrugged as he kept his eyes on the book. "You mean as a couple? Lucas is definitely better than Weasley. But I don't really care who she dates, to be honest."

"I know," Harry smiled gently. "I think they're a cute couple though. I bet Lucas is excited about the party too."

"Mmhm," Draco murmured.

Harry studied the blond's face and then scooted even closer. He laid his head up against the side of Draco's head so that his cheek was pressed up against the blond's pierced ear. He lay on his side as well so he could read what Draco was reading. The blond didn't voice any protest what-so-ever and just turned the page. He wasn't really reading the book, since he wasn't taking the same class (it appeared that everyone had different versions of some classes but by the end of the four years got the same well-rounded education), but he relished in the warm feeling of just being close to Draco. It was relaxing and he didn't really have to do homework until Sunday (all he had was a short essay and an open-book assignment).

"Draco?" Harry asked softly.

"Hmm?" the blond murmured.

Harry tilted his head to look up at him. "Um, I was just wondering…er, did you know the girl that your father wanted you to marry?"

Draco's eyes moved away from the book onto him and Harry saw the grim expression on his features.

"I'm sorry if you don't want to talk about it. I know that you're still getting over what happened, but—"

"It's fine, Potter," Draco sighed heavily as he adjusted his position even with Harry against him. "Yes I knew her, or at least we had been acquainted years prior. Her family was also a strong supporter of the Dark Lord but she went to Beauxbatons not Hogwarts."

"But…her family can't be a pure-blood right?"

"No, she's a half-blood, but my father realized that there are hardly any pure-blood families left, especially ones in support of the Dark Lord and the Slytherin way of life. He was fine with a half-blood as long as she came from a wealthy family, supported the Dark Lord and as long as he got along with her parents. Cliodene Peakes is even more stuck-up than Pansy was, but at least she was more attractive. And apparently her great, great, however many greats, grandfather Glanmore Peakes defeated the Sea Serpent of Cromer back in the 1700's so her family is rich and well-known because of it."

"Glanmore…isn't he on a famous wizard card?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes on the other boy.

Draco nodded. "Yeah. Her family used Glanmore's fame to earn themselves a lot of money publishing books and selling items he used, but then they became famous for opening a Dark Arts shop in France. That's where they get most of their fame from. Not to mention they're well-respected among Slytherin families not only for their illegal Dark Arts supplies but they managed to keep a strong allegiance with the Dark Lord without ever having been caught by the Ministry. And out of all the families and supporters of the Dark Lord they hardly lost any family members whether to the Dark Lord or any other circumstance so people often think the Dark Lord favored them."

"I don't ever remember Voldemort mentioning her family, but I guess that's possible," Harry shrugged. "Especially if Voldemort knew her grandparents back in school or something."

"Yeah," Draco shrugged.

"So…is she really pretty?"

Turning to glance down at him, Draco's eyebrows rose. "I haven't seen her that recently. I remember she came to our house last year when the war was going on since both our parents were discussing their allegiance and what to do about the Ministry I think. She was…fairly attractive. She had straight dark brown hair and unnaturally blue eyes. It was like…darker than Lucas'. She had an exotic but creepy appearance. I mean sometimes I felt like she was staring right through me or that she could read all my thoughts."

"Sounds creepy," Harry smiled. "Would you have married her…er, if we hadn't gotten together, I mean?"

Draco exhaled deeply and glanced down at the book. "I don't know. Perhaps. It certainly wouldn't have been half as bad as marrying Pansy, but…honestly I don't know what I would've done if I never became accepted to this school."

Harry smiled softly and leaned up to press his lips to his cheek. "Don't worry. It's better if we not dwell on it anyway. It turned out differently and I'm thankful for that."

Draco gazed back at him and Harry stared into his silver-blue eyes which were illuminated by the soft glow from the fireplace. To Harry's surprise, the blond reached up a hand and grasped Harry's chin gently, turning his head.

"How's your cheek?" he asked, referring to the darkening red spot due mainly to the hit that he took for Draco.

"I'm fine, really," Harry shrugged it off. "How are you?"

Draco's hand released his chin and he shrugged, lying his head back down. "I guess I'm relieved I'll never have to see my father again. You know, you…you didn't have to do that for me," he said quietly.

Adjusting his position so that he was leaning on his elbow, Harry stared at him as Draco avoided his gaze.

"You mean stepping in when your father was going to hit you?" he questioned, knowing he was right when Draco shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Draco, I care about you. I didn't want him to hit you. Besides, I'm the famous Harry Potter so I can handle anything, right?" Harry joked, getting the blond to glance up at him.

Snorting, Draco rolled his eyes. "Right, Potter."

Smiling, Harry scooted closer to Draco who glanced at him. Harry's dark-green eyes dimmed and he leaned forward. Draco didn't move and continued to keep their eyes locked together. Harry gently pressed their lips together and slowly his eyes closed. Seconds later Draco responded and their lips caressed together passionately. When they broke apart Harry smiled at him and lay his head back down on Draco's chest. Silently, Draco picked the book back up and resumed his studying. Wrapped in the warmth of Draco's body heat, and extra heat from the fire, Harry's eyes fluttered closed as he completely relaxed against the blond.

A while later Harry opened his eyes, realizing that he must've fallen asleep. When he lifted his head he saw that he wasn't the only one. Draco had his head turned to the right, allowing his bangs to fall to one side as he slept. He had, at some point, summoned a pillow to put behind his head. Glancing at the plate he noticed that the blond had also eaten as well. But it was the fact that Draco had apparently put the book down at some point and had fallen asleep with him. And at some point during their sleep, Harry had rolled on top of Draco so he wasn't just sleeping against him anymore he was literally in his arms.

Smiling, Harry brushed some of Draco's bangs aside. He couldn't possibly imagine being rivals with him anymore—in fact they hadn't been rivals for a while. And to think if he hadn't applied for the school he never would've seen what a wonderful person Draco could be. Bending down, Harry pressed his lips to the other boy's cheek. Draco took in a deep breath, but otherwise didn't move.

Lying back down, Harry rested his head in the crook of Draco's neck with his face pressed against the blond's skin. His body rested on top of the other boy's body, for the most part. One of his legs was resting in between Draco's leg and the couch, but Harry's other leg was strewn over the blond's legs, resting partially between them. Moving his arm so that it wrapped around Draco's right arm, Harry closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers:

**Branwen777:**I'm glad you like the ear piercing! Hehe! I definitely think you're right—it's the smaller things that attract Draco to him. And now Draco's parents are out of the way! HORRAY!

**DestinyEntwinements:**Hehe! At least it all worked out! Thanks:-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon:**Yep! They certainly have each other! I definitely don't like Draco's parents either, but they're out of the way now:-)

**Skittlelove:**Lol! I'm really glad you liked the earring! I know, I was picturing it myself…Oh my gosh! Speaking of hot, this boy on my bus looks A LOT like Draco…I think I'll have to pursue him. :-) Oo! Does that mean your name is Angelica? Thanks:-)

**:**I know Draco seems to be progressing slowly with his attitude, but he's not rude to Harry at least. He'll always have his sarcasm—it's just what makes him Draco, hehe! I'll update asap!

**Lavarockme:**Aww, thanks! I'm really glad you think Draco's in-character still. That's important! Oh yes, the trap was referring to Lucius and Narcissa going so far as to try and get Harry arrested. That was the trap. :-)

**The Earth Mystic:**Lol! Yes, Herm does know the law! Wait till she finds out about that. Thankfully, Draco's idea seemed to do the trick. I shall update asap!

**Tiger Eye2:**Hehe, thanks for understanding! Yeah, school's a pain! Lol! But thankfully I got this up! Thanks so much!

**Peaceful Angel:**Lol! I know, such bad timing, huh? Thanks:-)

**Smurff:**Yay, mac-and-cheese! This will give me energy! Don't worry, there's more drunkenness to come (hint: Hermione's birthday). Lol! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Oh yes, go catch up on sleep; sleep is good. :-)

**Kari-Sama:**Lol! Well, at least Draco's parents are finally out of the way, right? Hehe! Now it'll be better.

**hkph:**Oh cool! Does this new penname stand for something? I'm just curious, hehe! Finally Draco's parents are out of the way, lol! I know…piercings are hot, especially one on Draco. :-)

**LoVsick:**I'm really glad you like this! Thanks! Oh…you're so right! Blouse is for a woman, I guess! Haha, I didn't think of that. I was just picturing a sort of loose, fancy long-sleeved top. What would you call it for guys? A silky, loose kind of dressy shirt? Sorry if that threw you off. I'll have to change that!

**GoddessMoonLady:**Yep, poor Draco had to confront his father one way or another. Lol! I know, it's terrible when the two of them are interrupted! Oh yes, the earring is hot that's why I just had to put it in. It makes Draco even more irresistible.

**QuincePaste:**Really? Lots of people were giving Draco a belly-button piercing? O.o How strange! Lol! I definitely like the ear one better. Thanks!

**Gbheart:**I know, it'd be great to know magic, lol! Ah well. Thanks:-)

**Fourth-face-of-the-goddess:**Yep, the article came out too:-) And yes, darn Draco's parents, but at least they're out of the way now.

**. .**…: Well, they're not exactly happily-ever-after (yet) but at least Draco's parents are out of the way. Hehe! Thanks a bunch! I'm really glad you like this!

**Ari Maxwell00909:**Lol! Well, I'm too young to marry but thanks for the offer. I'm very glad to hear that you think it's realistic. That makes me very happy:-) Yeah, Harry became kind of desperate a bit, but otherwise it would've been impossible for them to get together, lol! Draco certainly wasn't going to initiate anything, as you pointed out. Aww, thanks! I'm so glad you like it that much! Hehe:-)

**Bunni4u:**Awww, thank you!

**Jeje:**Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it:-)

**Cath:**Thank you very much for that big compliment! Yes, it'll be sad once this is over. I'm really hoping I can come up with a sequel idea (but I don't want it to ruin the story, you know?). So we'll see. It's not quite over yet. A few more chapters I believe.


	24. A Step Forward

**Captivation**

_**Author's Note:**_**Sorry this took a while—school's been piling the homework. Like I said earlier, give me 3-5 days. I haven't yet surpassed five days on this story, which is good. And I continue to hold to that.**

**Pre-warning****: Sexual content next chapter**

**Chapter 23: A Step Forward**

Harry was thrilled when the captain let them off on Friday, saying they needed a bit of a break since their next match wasn't for a while. He had been worried that he wouldn't be able to go out and find Hermione a birthday present before the party. So after classes, which got out an hour before dinner, Harry went to find Draco. He figured the other boy was in his room, since there was time before dinner started. Harry knocked lightly and smiled as Draco opened the door, seemingly topless.

"Hey," Harry greeted him as he entered. "What are you doing?"

"I was getting ready to take a shower," Draco stated as he went back to his trunk.

"Er, could you wait a while before you do that?" Harry asked, walking closer.

Draco stood up and gave him a sarcastic look. "Why Potter?"

"Because I thought the two of us could go look for a birthday present for Hermione."

The blond crossed his arms casually. "And why do I have to come with you? You know her better than I do."

"I know that, but I think it would be fun to go together," Harry said as Draco snorted in response. "Besides, I was also thinking about getting a nice outfit for the party. And, you know, since you know where some of the best clothes stores are, I was hoping you could help me."

Knowing how much Draco loved showing off his expensive and stylish clothes, the blond turned around slowly to look at him. A sarcastic eyebrow was raised but his expression was perplexed.

"I suppose you do need some help," the blond's lips quirked upward.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so will you come?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I guess, but this better not be a three-hour long shopping spree."

"It won't," Harry smiled. "Er, I can buy you an outfit too, if you'd like."

"Potter, I really don't need your charity," Draco drawled, slipping on a tight black shirt. "I do have extra money from the scholarship, since my mother already paid for the first full year."

"That's great! So, can you make your own Gringotts account?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, I don't have that much," Draco snorted. "I have some extra money for spending on clothes and other things, but I obviously don't have enough to really need it protected in a vault."

"I see," Harry nodded. "So, er, where do you want to go first?"

"That depends," the blond said, wringing his fingers through his hair. "What do you want to get her?"

"Er, she loves books. Oh! I'm sure she'd like a nice book on sorcery before she goes to the academy. I know she likes to be prepared. And maybe…maybe a nice skirt or something to match with the necklace I got her for Christmas."

"There's a clothes store in Hogsmeade," Draco mused aloud and Harry just nodded.

Then he approached Draco's side and the two apparated to Hogsmeade. Draco showed him where to go and Harry was amazed just how huge Hogsmeade was. He wondered if it had expanded with new business since the war ended for he had never seen many of the stores they passed.

"This one," Draco gestured with his head as they went inside.

It was definitely a girl's store—that was the first thing that came to his mind. There were sparkly and flowery dresses, skirts, accessories and many were charmed to change colors. Harry browsed the sections while Draco stood off to the side with his arms crossed casually. Glancing at the blond briefly, Harry was about to call him over when he saw a young teenaged girl approach him. She appeared to be asking him directions somewhere but by the almost too timid smile on her face and the pink of her cheeks, Harry knew instantly that she thought he was attractive and decided to approach him.

A slight pang fluttered through his stomach and Harry was surprised by it. It wasn't that he was blatantly jealous, but at the same time he knew that Draco was attractive and being since the blond was still coming to terms with their relationship (though he had definitely improved by far) and they still weren't a hundred percent open to each other, there was a small fear in the back of Harry's mind about Draco finding someone else more compatible. Harry watched as Draco casually gestured with his hands where she should go and with a blush the girl thanked him. He had to admit he felt relieved when Draco didn't do anything else and went back to his original stance. The girl had been slowly leaving the store, eyeing him but since Draco didn't pursue her she finally left.

Harry saw the blond's head turn and he looked away, going back to deciding between the two skirts he was examining. Harry turned toward him and caught his eye and smiled. Then he pointed to the longer, metallic-purple skirt. Draco shrugged to show it was fine but that he didn't care one way or the other. Harry decided that Hermione would appreciate a more full-bodied skirt so he bought that one.

"See, that was fast," Harry grinned as they walked side-by-side toward the next destination. "Where are we headed?"

Draco glanced sideways at him. "Knockturn Alley."

Harry almost stopped in his tracks. "Er…why there?"

"Because they've got a couple of the best stores around, that's why," Draco said, sounding proud. "I normally buy most of my clothes from those two stores."

Harry nodded reluctantly. He knew the war was over and most Death Eaters had been put into Azkaban (except the ones that vanished without a trace, probably hiding), but he was still concerned about being attacked. Even Slytherins who hadn't joined Voldemort's ranks could still despise him and think it a great honor to kill him. Moments later they apparated into the Slytherin territory and Harry noticed that it wasn't that crowded. Most of the people around kept their heads either down or they looked away quickly. Harry tried to smooth down his bangs over his forehead, hoping that it would draw less attention to them. Thankfully, no curses came pelting his way and no one seemed to realize who he was (or they were keeping silent).

Draco took him inside the expensive clothes store he had been referring to and Harry had to admit it was very nice. They had a whole bunch of different sections for both males and females and in the back section (where the males went) there were tons of different categories of clothes from leather and silk to cotton and magical materials. Harry followed Draco toward the sections he usually browsed in.

"These sections are the best," Draco said, eyeing a pair of metallic-blue jeans.

"I see why you like this place so much," Harry said, sifting through some clothes floating in that section.

Draco raked his hands through his hair as he picked out some black jeans with a silver serpent-design shimmering as it squirmed on the back pocket. Harry chose a pair of tight leather pants (black of course) that had gold designs around the waist of the pants. The designs weren't charmed to move, but Harry liked them nonetheless. After Harry picked out a nice bronze-colored long-sleeved shirt (that left part of his upper chest bare), he searched for Draco who had several items floating by him.

Harry went up right by him and moved his arms as if he were going to wrap them around the blond and brushed against him. Draco turned but Harry's hands, after brushing against him, moved to the floating clothes. Although Draco finally broke free from his family and his attitude had improved immensely, there was still the fact that Harry continued to initiate most things. Draco didn't seem to mind however, just like a couple days before when Harry had laid against him and had fallen asleep. Still, things weren't perfectly sealed between them and perhaps things would never be completely changed. Draco was still himself in many ways, despite having opened up. And maybe the blond wouldn't ever open himself up a hundred percent.

Harry knew that even being together as a couple wouldn't change everything about their relationship. Draco would probably always have his sarcastic side and would for the most part call him Potter (as he was used to), but even though things wouldn't be completely changed between them, Harry liked it. He liked that the blond still had his mysterious and Slytherin side to him, but at the same time he still showed subtle signs of caring. And since Draco had fallen asleep with him those couple of nights ago, Harry knew that even if Draco never initiated the softer moments between them that he still cared. That was the most important thing anyway. As long as Draco remained with him, Harry would have to accept the blond's character and flaws with everything else.

"You want to go try on some of these?" Harry asked, after he chose another shirt from the clothes.

"All of these are charmed to fit the person's size so it'll grow or shrink, Potter. Trying them on isn't necessary."

"It is just to see how it looks. Come on," Harry urged.

Draco gave him a slightly annoyed look but complied and led Harry to the area where they could try them on. Harry chose the small curtained stall next to Draco's and began slipping the tight leather pants up over his legs. Once he got the bronze shirt on, he stepped outside his stall and approached Draco's.

"Draco, have you tried it on?"

"I'm in the process, Potter," he replied casually.

Harry waited a couple of minutes before speaking. "Can I come in?"

The blond moved the curtain aside and Harry stepped in. His eyes trailed over the black jeans Draco had on with a dark metallic-blue long-sleeved shirt. The other boy's shirt didn't show part of his chest, but it was still just as nice.

"It looks good," Harry observed, approaching his side.

Draco glanced at his attire and Harry felt heat rising in his body as the blond's eyes traveled over him.

"Er…what is it?" Harry asked awkwardly. "Do you think this is too dressy?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. It's fine, although you should really fix the collar."

Harry glanced down at it and Draco just snorted in amusement. Then he approached him and reached his hands up to fold the collar neatly all around. Harry felt the blond's hands brush up against his neck and his eyes flickered to Draco's; they were only standing mere inches apart. Harry's body was feeling hot again and as he gazed into Draco's face as the blond removed his hands from around his neck, their eyes locked together.

"Thanks," Harry said softly.

Draco gazed at him and Harry caught a glimmer of something in his eyes. As their eyes remained locked—emerald into silver-blue—Harry felt his body reacting. He didn't know why he was suddenly becoming aroused with such a simple gesture. Perhaps it was because they were spending more time together or maybe because of the alluring new outfits they were wearing, but either way Harry was feeling hotter than he should. And he wondered if Draco could feel it too.

Harry parted his mouth slightly in order to say something, but instead without warning he began bending his head toward the blond. At the same time Draco's head was bending as well and suddenly their lips were together and they were kissing both passionately and desperately. Harry stumbled forward, not anticipating the force of their kiss, causing Draco's back to hit the wall. Their tongues were sliding together heatedly and Harry ran his fingers beneath Draco's shirt. The blond let out a soft groan and Harry could tell, without even pressing their bodies close, that the other boy was becoming aroused as well.

Forgetting temporarily that they were still in a dressing room, Harry tilted his head for better access as Draco pressed his hand in the back of his head to pull him closer. Both of their hands now were roaming each other's bodies and as Harry released a groan when Draco's hands slid over his rear, Harry reached out and began pulling the blond's shirt up. Their kiss didn't break and their tongues remained in each other's mouths as Harry's fingers began to unbutton the blond's pants. Draco's fingers slid to his hips and the fingers dipped beneath Harry's tight pants, caressing his hips and Harry groaned deeply.

"Oh my!"

The sudden exclamation pulled the two of them apart. Although their mouths detached their hands were still wrapped around one another. Harry looked around in surprise and partial embarrassment, not seeing anyone else in the room. Then unexpectedly the voice spoke again only it seemed to be coming from the direction of the mirror which stood tall and wide in front of them (and it was charmed to expand as well if the person desired).

"You boys shouldn't be doing that here," the mirror spoke up.

Harry's eyebrows rose and he remembered that some mirrors were charmed in order to give people compliments or even advice on their attire. It was strange that the mirror seemed to have a mind of its own; it was definitely a powerful charm. Draco pulled away seconds later and Harry turned back to him.

"Er, yeah…," Harry's lips curled in amusement. "I think we should get these outfits."

"Oh yes, I agree," the mirror chipped in. "You both look very handsome."

Draco snorted in partial amusement, probably being more used to talking mirrors than Harry was.

"I forgot these mirrors could talk," he murmured.

"Yeah," Harry glanced at it. "Er, I'll wait outside for you when you're done."

With that, Harry went back to his own dressing room, thankful that no one seemed to be around the area. He undressed and tried on a couple of the other shirts he wore. He decided just to go with the original outfit he had and he waited for Draco to try on all his clothes before the blond came out with a couple new outfits. The two of them went immediately to pay and while the owner (a strange middle-aged woman with a hat that hissed and beady, slanted eyes) stared at him she said nothing. Harry hoped that his scar wasn't visible.

After that, they headed back to the school in order to catch a late dinner. The shopping spree had taken almost two hours, but it was well worth it. Harry got a new outfit and Draco got a new outfit plus a couple new shirts. Although the blond didn't have much money now, he wasn't going to resort to buying cheap clothes. Per usual after dinner Harry headed back with Draco to his room. After undressing, Harry lay down in bed while Draco stayed up a little later to finish an essay he had started. Harry fell asleep, comforted by the fact that their relationship seemed to be stable.

The next morning Harry got up while Draco was still asleep to go take a shower. He took his time with washing and making sure he was clean before he headed back to the room. Draco was slowly beginning to wake up as he dressed and when the blond's eyes blearily opened Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Morning," Harry said as the blond turned his head to glance at him.

"Mmm," Draco grumbled, rubbing at his eyes as he reluctantly got up.

Grinning in amusement, Harry watched as Draco left to go take a shower and then he finished getting dressed into his new outfit. The party started at one and it was an overnight party in a wizard hotel. Harry wasn't sure who else was invited, but he didn't think much about it. Draco got dressed into his new outfit as well and the two of them headed out (with Hermione's birthday present which Harry wrote was from the both of them). The wizard hotel was a ways away in Wales, but when they got off the train and flew the rest of the way on brooms to the area, Harry was completely amazed.

It was the size of Hogwarts at least with floating letters that flickered above it reading _WELCOME_. It was a mix between a hotel and a mansion—it looked rather expensive. Not only was the outside a gorgeous marble with intricate designs on the towers and pillars in the front, but the inside was amazing. Harry had never seen so much magic in one place before. There were floating chairs and cushions in the lobby area with a gorgeous fountain in the center; it was of Merlin with an extinct dragon curling around him with its teeth bared (Harry wasn't sure what dragon species it was though, but it looked like a mix between a Hungarian Horntail and a Swedish Short-Snout (which was a silvery-blue dragon with blue flames).

Then there were luggage floating as guests were led to their rooms. The woman behind the front desk had a magical quill that wrote the names of all guests and their room numbers. Harry remembered which room number Hermione had told them and after he told her it was scribbled in the book and then their small luggage bags were charmed to float and led them up to the room. Upon entering the room, Harry's mouth literally fell open. It was gorgeous! They walked into the main sitting area which had floating couches and cushioned chairs, plus beautifully crafted wooden tables that had teapots and snacks set out. There was a fireplace that glimmered nearby sending warmth into the room, but also emitting images inside of it such as stars or flame-people dancing. As they walked further inside Harry noticed there was a small kitchen with cupboards that opened by themselves depending on what the person wanted.

"This is incredible!" Harry exclaimed, entering the expansive bathroom and seeing that there were several different kinds of floating soaps, along with bubble bath and charmed water that could change colors.

"I can tell you've never been in a hotel," Draco drawled with amusement as he crossed his arms casually.

Harry gazed over his shoulder at him. "Not in the wizard world, no. Have you?"

"Almost every holiday my parents would find a nice vacation spot nearby an exotic resort and hotel or something of this sort," Draco said, glancing around. "It's middle-class."

"Middle-class?" Harry gapped. "But this is…it's huge!"

"Perhaps, but there are much larger ones with beds that make themselves and just by saying aloud what you want it appears. Of course they're ridiculously expensive," Draco commented.

Harry nodded. "So, where do you think everyone is?"

Draco shrugged. "Maybe she's late for her own party."

Harry shook his head in amusement and then decided to try out one of the floating chairs. He hopped into it and grinned widely as he floated up and then back down slowly.

"This is great!"

"Really Potter, you sound like a child getting over-excited," Draco said as he calmly sat down on another chair. "It's not that big of a deal."

Hopping down off of his chair, Harry approached the blond and when the chair was close enough Harry jumped onto the same one.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Draco drawled as Harry squeezed next to him.

"Sitting next to you," Harry answered, smiling. "Oh come on, don't start with the attitude just because we're going to be in front of people."

"Just because we're together doesn't mean I can't sit in a chair by myself," Draco said, eyeing him with glimmering eyes.

Harry smiled and suddenly switched positions and sat on Draco's legs, facing him. The blond stared at him and raised an eyebrow, but Harry just leaned down and captured their lips in a kiss. Draco responded instantly and Harry inwardly smiled, knowing that most of the time the blond liked using sarcasm even though he didn't mind.

"Blimey!" a voice exclaimed.

Harry broke away and glanced over his shoulder in surprise. Seamus was standing there gaping while holding what looked like sizzling cupcakes.

"Er, hi," Harry smiled awkwardly.

"I can't believe me eyes," he said in his thick Irish accent. "I mean, I saw the article and all, but I still didn't believe it."

"Seamus, just put the cupcakes on the…," Hermione trailed off as she came into view. Blinking, she suddenly blushed when she saw the position the two of them were in. "H-Harry, Draco. Um…sorry, but I just had to step out to get some supplies and food and Seamus, Luna and Lucas were helping me."

"That's okay," Harry said, getting off of Draco's lap. "This is a nice place, Hermione. Are your parents paying for it?"

"Yeah, they are, but I get a discount since it's my birthday," she smiled.

"Nice to see you again Harry," Seamus patted his back. "Malfoy," he nodded.

Draco got down off the chair and crossed his arms coolly. "It's Merlin, Finnigan."

Seamus' eyebrows rose up. "You changed your name? So that's why I was confused when I saw that picture of you two and then the recent article. How long have you two been together?"

"Er, a little over a month," Harry answered, glancing at Draco who gazed back at him. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Oy, Dean and I broke up a couple months ago. We're still pals, but I'm now single. He's going to be here too," Seamus said.

Harry nodded, smiling and glanced at Draco who seemed reluctant to start conversing with the other boy. Thankfully more people arrived in no time consisting of: Luna, Neville, Lavender, Dean, Lucas and several girls and boys who had been in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff that Harry didn't know very well. Hermione was friends with one of them through Luna but met the others in her seventh year class: _The Progress of Magic From 700 A.D. to the 19th Century_. Harry could tell Draco was rather nervous about being around a crowd of people he didn't really know (and some of which he had been rude to at Hogwarts), but he hid it very well. Hermione set up the sizzling cupcakes on the table in the sitting area. Then she got out some snacks.

"Okay, we're going to start with some games!" she announced. "So everyone sit in a circle!"

Harry joined the circle making sure to sit next to Draco and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see Lucas bending down toward Hermione. Their lips pressed together and Lucas raised a hand to gently hold the back of her neck. When they pulled away, Hermione's cheeks were pink but she was smiling brightly. Then Lucas smoothed her hair out away from her face and Harry smiled at the sight. Hermione and Lucas held hands then as they approached the circle and Hermione brought out a glimmering board. Apparently, from what Harry learned, it was a wizard game that consisted of different characters (such as Merlin and other famous deceased people) and there were places that the piece could move or fly to. There were bad places and good places. The cursed places could take away points or do something to them. The point of the game was to get to the other side of the board with the most points. Not only could a person lose points, but they could lose clothing, be dared to do something or owe favors to other players.

The pieces were charmed to move by themselves and everyone tapped their wands on the floating dice in the center to see what they rolled.

"Hermione gets to go first," Lucas smiled, touching her hand gently.

Gazing up at the blue-eyed boy, Hermione blushed and then tapped her wand on the floating cube. Her piece flew forward several spaces and then a card appeared out of thin air. Hermione read the card aloud:

" 'Answer this riddle and earn ten points: My coat is my protection, my eyes are a cloudy-gray, the eggs I lay are cold and strong and my breath could freeze rain.' "

Hermione thought for a minute and then grinned. "Of course, it's an Ice Dragon!"

The card vanished with a pop and immediately under her name on the score board appeared her ten points. Lucas congratulated her and Harry smiled at them. They went around in a circle and after an hour Draco had accumulated the most points (343) while Harry had 224, Hermione had 312, Lucas had 220, Luna had 333 and some of the others had even less than Harry did (such as Dean who only had 97). Finally, Dean rolled a five and his piece flew to a square with a star.

"Alright!" Dean exclaimed when he read his card. "I get to ask any two players to do something! Let's see…," his eyes scanned the group and finally he rested on Harry. "Harry, I want you to strip down to your underwear and then sit on Draco's lap for the rest of the game."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in amusement (and partial embarrassment) but grinning widely he did as he was told. He waved his wand until he was clad in only his boxers and then he approached Draco, who glanced up at him. Draco had his legs stretched out in front of him with both hands in back of him, propping him up. Harry sat down easily on the blond's lap and leaned back against his warm chest. Dean whistled and Seamus nudged him playfully. Hermione's cheeks were pink and Lucas was smiling. Everyone else was either laughing or smiling.

When it came to be Draco's turn, he sneered over at Dean when he got a similar card. "Thomas, I think Hermione would like a lap dance, since she's the birthday girl."

"What?" Hermione squeaked out, glancing in embarrassment at Dean then at Lucas, who just smiled in amusement.

Seamus began laughing hysterically as Dean got up and began dancing ungracefully in front of Hermione, making it very humorous when he threw off his shirt. Hermione was partially closing her eyes, but thankfully Dean didn't strip any further and proceeded to give her a crazy lap dance, which consisted of him shaking his butt non-stop causing Hermione to burst into a fit of laughter. As he was watching the show, Harry leaned back even further against Draco. Harry tilted his head back and side-glanced up at the blond, who turned his head in response. Draco's eyes locked with his own and for a minute they just stared. Harry leaned up and caught Draco's lips with his own. The blond responded slowly and as they kissed for only a minute more whistling sounded.

The two broke away and saw that everyone was staring at them. Seamus was pretending to fan himself while Hermione smiled at him. Feeling his face heat up a bit, Harry just smiled at everyone. Draco was calmly staring at the board as the game continued.

After the game, Hermione opened presents as everyone cheered her on. Lucas gave her a beautiful magical pearl ring, which symbolized their relationship. It was equivalent, Harry guessed, to the 'promise ring' in the muggle world. It was charmed to show their names every few minutes inside the pearl and Hermione's eyes had begun to get teary. She loved the present from him and Draco as well and showed it by giving them both a hug. Draco had a surprised look on his face as she embraced him but he patted her back a couple times. Then once it started getting close to dinner, she brought out real food, such as pasta, some slices of roast beef, pumpkin juice and such. And after dinner they placed other games, which consisted of winning the sizzling cupcakes, which Harry was told were charmed with many different flavors to make a person's taste-buds melt. Then Hermione brought out some alcoholic butterbeers as well, which Seamus cheered loudly at, to everyone's amusement.

The next game was an even stranger one, in Harry's opinion. And because they had begun drinking a little it was harder to do yet more amusing. A spell was placed over the floor dividing it into colored cubes as if they were all the individual "pieces" playing. Then there was a magical round ball that spun around and whatever color it glowed was the color square someone landed on. Then the person was asked a trivia question about a famous Quidditch play, a person, creature, anything in the wizard world and if they got it wrong the ball would choose their outcome. Draco came to a yellow square and was asked a question about when the magical quill was invented.

"How the hell am I supposed to know this?" Draco grumbled.

"Draco," Seamus hissed in a whisper. "The answer is 1742."

The blond glanced at him and then shrugged. "1742."

The ball beeped to signal that was incorrect and suddenly a charm shot from the magical ball to Draco and turned his hair pink. Seamus burst into hysterical laughter.

"That was brilliant!"

"FINNIGAN!" Draco roared, glaring at him heatedly while trying to salvage his now pink hair. "You did that on purpose!"

"And boy am I glad I did!" Seamus laughed loudly.

Scowling, Draco turned away and Harry tried to stifle his laugh and failed. Draco's head wheeled around to face him.

"Is something amusing Potter?"

Bursting into laughter, Harry nodded unable to say anything. Draco with hot-pink hair was just too hilarious that he couldn't even put it into words. However, when Harry's turn came up he stepped on a purple square and the question was: how old was Merlin when he died? Harry, not being fond of history class, had no clue. Draco smirked widely and Harry thought hard.

"Er, 215."

"Oh Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "That was so easy! How could you get that wrong?"

He opened his mouth to defend himself and found that a spell was heading his way. And as it hit him, Harry was horrified to see that everyone around him seemed to swell. Seamus was laughing again as well as everyone else, except for Hermione whose mouth had dropped open. It was then Harry realized the spell had shrunk him to a fist-sized human being.

"That's a nice look Potter," Draco drawled with a smirk.

"Shut-up!" Harry squeaked almost inaudibly.

Even Luna's lips curled at the sound of his squeaky voice and everyone burst into hysterical laughter. Throughout the rest of the night they all had fun playing Wizard Snaps and other various games. Hermione drank three bottles of butterbeer, which apparently was more than she had ever drank before because she was giggling quite frequently and her cheeks were tainted bright pink. Draco had only three bottles of the butterbeer and Harry only had two, because he was having a good enough time without being drunk.

Hermione and Lucas drifted off to the couch later on and began kissing one another passionately. Later on they played some more games in order to win some prizes. Draco got set up against Lucas in a match and smiled smugly when he won a box full of chocolate frogs and an _Australian Broom-Cleaning Kit_.

By three in the morning, Harry was exhausted but content. Hermione had summoned comfy sleeping bags for those that wanted to sleep on the floor. Seamus managed to snag the floating couch and Dean teased him about falling off in the middle of the night and breaking an arm. Luna slept by the fireplace and Hermione and Lucas set up their sleeping bags next to one another (probably so they could kiss and converse easily). Dean and the others set up theirs around the room and Harry snagged a small corner by the kitchen where he set his up, which was nearby Draco's as well.

Things soon settled down and although there were whispering as Hermione and Lucas conversed there was also snoring coming from Seamus. And Harry and Draco were enough of a distance away to talk quietly without being overheard so Harry scooted closer to the blond.

"Hey," Harry said quietly as the blond turned his head. "Did you have fun?"

Draco shifted in his sleeping bag and shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, it was alright. Although I'm about ready to kill Finnigan. He wouldn't stop teasing me about my hair even after it turned back to normal."

Harry chuckled softly. "It was funny, you have to admit."

Draco sent him a glare. "Not as funny as your shrinking trick," he drawled.

Harry just smiled in response. Then he scooted his sleeping bag even closer to they were side-by-side. Draco gazed at him, looking a bit sleepy, and Harry reached out a hand to brush back some of the blond's bangs.

"I'm glad you had fun," Harry said sincerely as he pulled his hand away.

Draco didn't respond and instead stared up at the ceiling. Harry took that as a sign that he was tired and was about to close his eyes when the blond spoke up.

"Potter," he murmured quietly.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, shifting his body so he was lying on his side which allowed him to stare at Draco directly.

"How did we get here?"

Harry blinked a bit confused. "Er, do you mean how did we become friends or how did we come to have sex?"

Draco snorted, moving his arms above his head. "Both."

"I stand by my first theory," Harry said softly.

The other boy's head tilted so that he was facing him. "Which is?"

"That we didn't really know each other at Hogwarts," Harry said quietly. "Although we saw a lot of each other, you and I always had our own fronts up. You were being controlled by your parents and I was being somewhat controlled by Dumbledore. Both of us kept our feelings hidden. And when the war ended, it gave both of us a chance to break free from where we were. Then when we met at the Quidditch school it was a different environment," Harry shrugged as Draco stared at him silently.

"It allowed us to release our emotions and act like ourselves, you know, without the burden of being told what to do or anything. We were in a place that we enjoyed and I think the alcohol might have helped just a little," his lips curled slightly. "When our guards were let down, we were able to just…I don't know, let go I guess. Honestly, I didn't realize I was attracted to boys, or you, for a while."

Draco was still silent and he turned back up at the ceiling, looking pensive. Harry scooted close enough so that he was up against the other boy. Then he leaned his head by Draco's. The blond didn't protest and even glanced at him. Up close, Harry could see the emotion radiating in Draco's eyes. In the past the blond's eyes were cold and distant, not holding anything but mockery. Now his eyes were bright and expressive.

"Potter, if you want to sleep that close you might as well just combine them," Draco said suddenly.

Harry blinked in surprise. "Combine them?"

Draco rolled his eyes a bit and then took out his wand and waved it over them. The two sleeping bags combined together into a large one. Feeling his stomach flutter, Harry realized this was the kind of initiation he had been waiting for. It made him relieved to think that Draco really did want to be with him and that perhaps some day he would completely open up all the way and forget completely about the past. Harry raised a hand to Draco's cheek as he scooted closer and when the blond turned Harry leaned in. Draco was prepared for the kiss and responded back. It was a simple kiss that Harry held for over thirty seconds and wordlessly Harry smiled and brought his body up against the blond's, feeling the warmth radiating off the other boy.

Leaning forward again, Harry pressed his lips to Draco's ear and slowly began kissing down his neck.

"Potter, if you remember there are other people around," Draco murmured quietly.

Harry smiled. "Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't make-out."

He pressed his lips to Draco's and their kissing began heating up. Their tongues caressed and soon Harry rolled on top of him. He almost released a groan but thankfully held it in. Harry raked his hands through Draco's hair as they continued to kiss passionately. They made-out for a while until finally the two of them were too tired to continue. Harry remained up against the blond's side with his arms wrapped around him as he went to sleep.

Some hours later Harry was woken up by a sound. He didn't want to open his eyes because he was warm and content. Shifting, he felt that his limbs were entangled around another body and he smiled to himself. A noise, like footsteps, came again and Harry wondered who had gotten up so early. He was still exhausted but slowly he opened his eyes. A figure was standing in the room, looking down at everyone who was sound asleep and from the back Harry could tell who it was.

"Ron?" he blurted out quietly.

The red-head turned around suddenly and gazed down at him. When Ron's eyes caught sight of Draco curled up next to him he saw the other boy's eyes widen in shock. Slowly, he stepped forward and Harry noticed a wrapped gift in his hand.

"I…erm…came to give Hermione her present. We got back early this morning and I thought I'd drop by."

Harry nodded, sitting up carefully so he wouldn't disturb Draco. "You can leave it on the table, if you need to go I mean."

Ron nodded slowly and gazed down at the floor. An awkward silence fell over them and Draco shifted in his sleep, turning his head. Ron glanced up at him looking a bit frightened that he might wake up. When he didn't, the red-head cleared his throat softly.

"Er, I just…you know, since you're awake and all…I…," Ron struggled with words. "I'm sorry about…you know, about what Ginny and I did."

"Well, I can't say it's easy to forgive you, but I'm not a fan of holding grudges," Harry shrugged. "Things were okay with me and Draco but our relationship had been pushed to the edge."

Ron nodded, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment as Harry's mention of them being a couple.

"Er, sorry, Harry, I just…you know, I can't imagine…," Ron gestured to Draco.

Harry understood what he was trying to say. "Ron, I told you that he's a nice person. You should trust my judgment."

"It just seemed impossible," Ron argued, staring down at the blond who had a content expression on his face as he slept. "I mean seeing him here with you…it's shocking because he doesn't look like the Malfoy we knew—"

"He's not a Malfoy anymore," Harry corrected.

"Er, right," Ron shrugged. "But anyway…I know what I did was very wrong. I've been thinking about it over vacation. And even though Draco admitted to…to loving you, I just…it was unsettling at first, but then I felt guilty because I know I might've lost you as a friend. And even though I don't trust Draco still, I do trust you, Harry, which is why…well, I don't care that you two are…you know, dating or whatever. Just as long as you tell him not to be rude to me," he added.

Harry snorted. "That might be hard. Just because we're getting along doesn't mean Draco's going to change completely. But just know that I'm happy with him and if he says anything really offensive of course I'll tell him off, but you might just have to deal with his sarcasm and teasing."

Ron gave him a look but nodded. "I guess. Well, I just was wondering if…if you still wanted to be friends."

"I never said I wouldn't ever be your friend again," Harry said quietly. "And I didn't mean that I'd never forgive you. Well, at the time I meant it, but now that things are alright I can forgive you."

"So, we're friends again?" Ron asked tentatively, glancing up nervously.

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Smiling, Ron gave him a nod and Draco shifted in his sleep again, turning toward Harry as he moved his arms, one of which was wrapped around Harry's back. Ron stiffened but Harry just brushed his fingers against the blond's cheek. Draco released a soft sound, but otherwise didn't stir. Ron watched the exchange wordlessly and finally he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess maybe I'll stay and wait for Hermione to wake up, since I missed the party and all."

Harry nodded as Ron went to set the present on the table.

"There should be an extra sleeping bag in the room. Just use your wand to summon it."

Ron nodded as he summoned one and lay down a bit reluctantly. Harry then lay back down next to Draco, putting his arm around the blond. Things were finally looking up and Harry hoped that they stayed that way.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

_Author's Note:__I was going to put something sexual in this chapter at first, but it didn't seem to fit, so next chapter!_

To Reviewers:

**DirtyFace:**Thanks so much! I'm very glad you think both Harry and Draco are in-character. That's a relief! I shall update asap!

**QuincePaste:**Yeah, it is cute when Draco stops being sarcastic, lol! Well, I suppose he can't completely change, but he's getting there! I will update asap!

**The Earth Mystic:**Yep, there was a party! But unfortunately, our beloved boys didn't get to have sex. Next chapter though!

**Branwen 777:**Hehehe! Not much suspense in this chapter but still developing the relationship. I'm glad you liked the confrontation with Lucius. There is still more to come!

**:**Yes, darn Lucius for being…himself! Lol! I shall update asap!

**Narcoleptic86:**Yep, you're right! The mock finals will be important, well to Harry and Draco anyway. I'm not going to go into too much detail with that since the relationship is more important. But I'm glad you liked the ending!

**Shoozie:**Lol! Yeah, I love ear-piercings! Tehehehe!

**Kari-Sama:**Yeppers, finally Draco stood up to his parents. Now time for more bonding!

**Gbheart:**I know, I know, more fluffiness, lol! There is more drama/intimacy to come too of course, but I just can't help the fluffy moments.

**Trendyfishie89:**Aw, thank you! I'm very happy you like this!

**Smurff:**Lol! Well, you don't really see Hermione getting drunk, but her and Lucas seem pretty attached now. It was a way to give an insight into their progressing relationship and of course more bonding between Draco and Harry.

**Skittlelove:**Lol! Don't worry, I'll keep your name a secret! I'm glad you liked the fluffiness! I just had to put some in this story, of course. There will be more to come!

**Tiger Eye2:**Lol! I'm glad you liked it! I'm sorry to say, but there won't be pregnancy in this story. But there is still lots of romance/drama!

**GreenEyedCatDragon:**I'm glad you liked the cuddling! There will be more as well as drama and intimacy. This isn't over yet! Hehe!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight:**I'm glad you liked the ending! Ah yes, that was my plan was to get you to the edge of your seat thinking Harry might be in trouble, lol! But anywhoo, more to come! I shall update asap!

**Hkph:**ah, I see! How cool! Hehe! And yes, more fluffiness! Hehe! But yes, I shall update asap!

**Dragenphly:**Thank you very much! I'm glad you think Draco's progressing at a believable rate. He's almost there, but not quite!

**Shakespeares Whore:**I'm so glad you really like this:-) Lol! Yes, screw Ron and Ginny. Even though Ron's seemed to apologize it hasn't really changed that much. It'll take some time for the trust to come back, but in the meantime Draco and Harry are doing well, hehe!


	25. Love's Ordeal

**Captivation**

**Important Author's Note: Thanks to LadyDragonWolfKnight, who let me know that the party scene was kind of boring, I went back to read it and by golly it was! I mean, it was very slow because there wasn't much dialogue or anything so I went back and changed a few things during the party. Hopefully it's more interesting now! Sorry about that—I guess I was a bit rushed because of that darn English essay I had to finish. **

**_Warning: Sexual content in this chapter!_**

**Chapter 24: Love's Ordeal **

The next couple of months passed by rather fast and soon it was close to the end of the year. Summer break would be coming shortly but it wouldn't be for long since classes started up in July. However, Harry was looking forward to the break. They had won the two other Quidditch matches that they needed in order to compete in the mock finals for the year. After all, the written exams in the last week of April the Quidditch finals would be held on May first. After that whoever won the year-round trophy would have a celebration thrown at their school. And the party would be the lead-in for summer break.

Harry's relationship with Draco was stable in that they were still together. Draco didn't mind when he slept with him on the couch while he was studying, which Harry had done again. Although Draco had initiated the incident at Hermione's birthday party where he combined their sleeping bags, he was still reluctant to show his sensitive side a lot. Harry understood that which is why it didn't bother him. It hadn't even bothered him when the blond had ignored Ron the morning after the party. Not even a glance at the red-head had been made and Ron didn't seem to make any moves to talk to Draco either. They both pretended the other one didn't exist. Harry knew it would take time before he fully trusted Ron again and it would take Draco even longer. And Ron was still accepting their relationship in his own mind, but at least he felt bad about what he had done. That wasn't concerning him now.

However, his thoughts had begun to stray to the future. What would happen after the school? Would Draco still want to be with him? What if Draco got accepted onto a team and he didn't (or vice versa)? Or what if they got accepted onto different teams? Harry wasn't sure what to expect, but he did not believe that after coming this far together (after Draco changed his name and opened up to him) that it would suddenly have to end.

It didn't help that as final exams were closing in (and the last Quidditch match for that year) a bit of strain had been placed on their relationship. It wasn't much but Draco was a very stubborn boy _still _and he hated to admit when he was stressed out. And unfortunately two weeks before finals both Harry and Draco were stressed out that they began taking it out on each other. Draco criticized his flying and Harry, who normally was level-headed, reacted negatively and began yelling at him. The strain had begun even earlier at the beginning of April when homework began to get more intense. In fact, despite sleeping in Draco's room almost every night, they hadn't had sex for almost a month. That, to Harry, was a sign that they were entering a rocky phase of their relationship.

He was still angry about Draco having criticized his flying, but at the same time he finally realized what the stress was doing to their relationship. It was pushing them to the edge and Harry didn't want it to come to a huge fight that could potentially cause them to break-up. Since it was Wednesday night and they had finished classes, Harry was searching for Draco. When he hadn't found the blond at dinner, he had asked Lucas and Tavis if they had seen him. Tavis had seen him heading in the direction of the library so Harry began walking there, hoping that Draco was in a good enough mood to talk.

As Harry entered the library, since the door was jarred open, he suddenly stopped still in his tracks. From the angle he was at he could get a clear view of most of the library and standing right in front of the door nearby the librarian's desk kept him at a far enough distance away that he hadn't been heard. Draco wasn't the only person in the library. A youthful girl (probably about their age or a year older) was seated at the table with the blond. What made the sight clutch at Harry's heart was that she was seated _right_ next to him—so close that her bare arm was actually brushing up against Draco's. They seemed to be conversing quietly and although Harry didn't want to jump to any conclusions he couldn't help but feel furious.

Before either of them could detect his presence, he slipped out of the library and headed toward his room not even caring that he hadn't eaten dinner. It wasn't like he had caught them making-out or anything—there really wasn't anything there to suggest that Draco was essentially cheating on him, or rather that he had found someone more compatible, but it still made Harry's stomach churn so badly he began feeling nauseous. He had felt this sensation vaguely before. It had been when he had seen Cho dancing with Cedric. The feeling now however was very strong and it filled him with a restless anger that made it impossible to concentrate on anything else.

Even though he hadn't caught Draco actually doing something that would definitely harm their relationship (or end it), it was enough to get him suspicious. Harry had already been feeling like their relationship had reached a brink again and now he was afraid perhaps Draco felt the same way and had decided to open his options up to other people. He would most definitely have to confront Draco; he was going to find out what was going on.

An image of the girl in the clothes shop at Hogsmeade popped into his mind—her pink cheeks, her shy laugh, the way she posed her hand flirtatiously and the way her glossy lips smiled in thanks. And suddenly the fear consumed him. Why would Draco be in the library during dinner with this girl—just the two of them—without having told Harry about it? And he hadn't spotted any books so it didn't seem like they had been studying. Angrily, Harry punched his pillow several times. After everything they had been through trying to figure out how they felt toward one another and the slow progress of their relationship, this had to happen. Draco went through a drastic metamorphosis that allowed Harry to chip away at his defenses and the wall blocking the blond's real emotions and charm to the point of even changing his name and breaking ties with his family so that they wouldn't have to hide their relationship. Now it seemed that their bond was weakening when it should've been getting stronger.

Harry fell asleep a little while later with his troubled thoughts. He woke up earlier than usual the next morning and went to Draco's room. He knew the blond would still be asleep but his anxiety was so intense that he just couldn't wait any longer. He rapped several times before the door finally opened and a disheveled Draco, clad in only his short, silky-black boxers, glared at him.

"Potter, what the hell is wrong with you? It's six thirty in the morning!"

"We need to talk," Harry said bluntly, pushing the door open so he could come inside.

"Potter!" Draco exclaimed in frustration as he came inside. The blond shut the door and angrily crossed his arms. "You couldn't wait till a more decent hour to talk!"

"Where were you at dinner last night?" Harry asked suddenly.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Potter, I was studying in the library at the beginning of dinner and as I recall you're the one who wasn't there."

"And who were you studying with?" Harry questioned firmly.

The blond slowly uncrossed his arms and approached him. "Are you spying on me now?"

"I wasn't spying!" Harry exclaimed. "I went looking for you at dinner and found you in the library with someone else. You didn't tell me you were going to meet someone."

"So, what are you like my mother now? I have to tell you everything?" Draco shot back heatedly.

Harry felt his anger grow even more. "Who was that girl?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Draco drawled, narrowing his eyes even more. "If you must know, Potter, she's a classmate who asked me for help."

"But I didn't see any books on the table," Harry argued.

Draco scowled angrily. "So if there aren't ten books piled on the table that means I'm lying does it? And anyway, Potter, I can hang out with whoever the bloody hell I want to! Just because I don't tell you about where I'm going every second of the day doesn't mean you have the right to follow me around everywhere and make accusations!"

"Look," Harry raised his voice. "I was looking for you yesterday so that we could talk. We haven't been getting along these past few weeks an—"

"Well now you know why," Draco drawled coolly. "Because you can't help but try to control everybody else, can you? The world doesn't revolve around you, Potter!"

"I never said it did!" Harry shouted, clenching his fists in frustration. "But you could've let me know what you were doing so I didn't have to find you like that!"

"Right, Potter," Draco drawled, "let me just write a list for you to show what I'm doing every minute. Perhaps you'd like to follow me around all day like my shadow? Even come with me to the bathroom every time I need to go because you think I might be hanging out with someone you don't approve of?"

"Stop making me out to be some horrible control-freak! I just wanted to know whether or not something is going on between you and that girl, that's all! I never said you have to tell me where you're going every minute or write down who you hang out with."

"Good, then we agree," Draco drawled, getting back into bed. "I'll hang out with whoever I want to and you'll stop waking me up this early to complain."

"You still didn't answer my question about the girl," Harry retorted, trying to resist the urge to punch him.

"I told you already," Draco drawled, turning away from him.

Harry stared at him biting down on his lip to keep from screaming at the other boy. Finally, he left the blond's room shutting the door rather harshly. Draco had said that the girl asked him for help, but he hadn't stated with what or why there weren't any books out. Harry was feeling so angry and frustrated that he went to the showers in order to relax a bit. While in the shower, he contemplated the steps it had taken in order to get Draco to open up and let his true feelings show. And even throughout their arguments when they weren't quite together they had still gotten through them. Harry didn't know what had happened. Sure, the stress had school had caused them both to become grumpy but it didn't seem like that could be enough. Draco had been a little quiet at Hermione's party, but he had seemed to have fun.

After the shower, Harry didn't feel as tense but he was still angry and upset. At the party things had gone well but then afterward they had slowly begun to get a little worse. He wanted it to work out between them, but he didn't know what to do. He had confronted Draco who hardly told him anything and they ended up getting into another argument. As Harry got dressed and headed to the dining hall for breakfast he tried not to think negatively. Just because they had some arguments didn't mean they were going to break-up, but it was the girl that worried him. Who was she and why did she ask Draco for help out of everyone in the class? Was there something starting between them? Harry was relieved when he spotted Lucas already there. He sat down next to him.

"Hey," Harry smiled softly.

"Morning," Lucas smiled brightly. "How are you?"

Harry sighed. "I had another argument with Draco."

Lucas' smile faded into a concerned expression. "Are things okay between you two?"

"I don't know," Harry leaned his elbow on the table, exhaling deeply. "I saw him with a girl in the library last night. I confronted him about it and he got angry. He said it was nothing but yet he wouldn't tell me who she was. He just said I'm not his mother and that he can hang out with whoever he wants."

"Hmm," Lucas frowned. "It could be that he became defensive because he figured you were accusing him of being unfaithful."

"I guess but I had a right to be suspicious. I mean, why didn't he tell me about her?"

"Maybe he didn't have time to tell you because it happened right away. And perhaps he thought it wouldn't be a big deal to hang out with her without telling you. Without knowing the circumstances of their meeting it is unfair to assume just because he was with a girl that something is going on between them," Lucas pointed out gently.

Harry sighed and raked his hand through his hair. "You're right. It's just that we've been pushing each other's buttons for the past few weeks and…we haven't been intimate for a while," Harry added quietly. "I guess I already was afraid our relationship was weakening so when I saw him with that girl it was like my fear had been proven."

Lucas nodded in understanding. "Just give him a little time to cool off then talk to him again."

Harry nodded and then finished eating. He took Lucas' advice and just left Draco alone that day. He didn't have any classes with Draco like he did the first semester so it made it easier. After lunch, in Harry's second to last class he was approached by a nervous looking boy while everyone was packing up to leave.

"Hi," the boy said softly, glancing downward in embarrassment.

His disheveled brown hair was very short and straight. He also had hazel eyes and his face was turning a bit pink.

"Er, hi," Harry nodded to him. "What's up?"

"Um…I just…well, I…," the boy stuttered nervously, wringing his hands together. "I was wondering if you might have some time to…to show me some of your flying moves. You see…I got into this school based on grades and my essay, which earned me a scholarship too, but I'm honestly not that talented with flying. I'd like to be…and I know you're really good, so I…," he trailed off, glancing down uncertainly.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind helping you out," Harry answered honestly.

The other boy looked up, surprised. "You…really?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "If you want to after Quidditch practice today we can meet out on the field."

"Oh thank you!" the boy exclaimed gratefully. "I really can't tell you how much this means to me! I mean, I want to try out for the Quidditch team next year so I thought I should start practicing, but of course I don't know what techniques to practice or how to," he babbled.

"It's fine, really," Harry said, smiling awkwardly. "Er, what's your name?"

"Oh, sorry! My name's Aron Blackwell."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Yeah, I know," the boy smiled and Harry felt even more awkward.

"Er, okay. I'll see you tonight then."

"See you!" the boy exclaimed, waving to him as he left.

Harry left with the few remaining students and headed to his last class for the day. Even at dinner Harry didn't approach Draco who was back in his original spot at a different table beside some boys and girls Harry was vaguely familiar with. Harry was tempted to approach him, but he didn't. Instead he went on eating and then went to practice. Draco was punctual as usual, but Harry didn't even glance in his direction. He wanted to give the blond some space and let him cool down, as Lucas had suggested and then hopefully the next day he could approach him.

Practice ended a bit early because they were going to have intense sessions for the next few weeks until the final match. Instead of following the others back toward the school Harry walked toward the center field and remained there. Everyone had left and he only had to wait fifteen minutes before the boy, Aron, came running toward the field with his broom in hand.

"Hey Harry!" Aron called as he approached him, seemingly out-of-breath. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"It wasn't that long," Harry smiled. "Okay, you ready?"

The other boy nodded eagerly and then Harry posed on his broom. Aron followed suit and the two took off to the sky. Harry began with basic moves, such as spinning or turning rapidly the other boy caught on pretty quickly. Unfortunately, when it came to the spinning, he lost grip of the broom and Harry hurried to catch him. Aron wrapped his arms around him so as not to fall, looking relieved.

"It's alright. I didn't get it right the first few times either," Harry smiled.

That was partially a lie because Harry had been chosen as a Seeker during his first year because of an amazing and graceful move that included not only spinning but diving and pulling up perfectly when he caught Neville's remembrall. However, he wanted to give the other boy some confidence. The boy pulled away, blushing in embarrassment and nodded.

"Let's go again," Harry encouraged him.

He showed him some minor detailed moves, such as learning how to stop abruptly and also ducking at the same time as flying diagonally. Aron, although he was still faltering with the gracefulness of his spins and some of the moves, was doing better after an hour. Harry didn't even realize how long it had been and noticed it was almost curfew. So they stopped and landed. Almost instantly Aron hugged him tightly in thanks. The move was so sudden, Harry stumbled a bit and he turned his face in surprise which caused his face to brush up against the side of Aron's neck and face. After a minute the boy pulled away both blushing and smiling.

"Thanks so much Harry," Aron stated.

With a smile Harry nodded in return. "You're welcome."

The two of them walked back inside and Harry headed to his room. Feeling a bit better after flying around and relieving some stress, he decided that he would try to talk to the blond now. Hopefully they both had had time to cool off. With more positive thoughts in mind, Harry fell asleep shortly after he lay in bed. The next morning he woke up hoping things would be better. When he went to the dining hall however he saw Draco sitting with the same girl from the library. Harry tried to push his fear away and told himself that Draco had said he was helping her. So after breakfast, Harry saw Draco leave with the girl and went to catch up with them.

"Draco!" Harry called out.

The blond stopped and turned and the girl did the same. Harry slowed down and approached them.

"Checking up on me again?" Draco crossed his arms.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed, wondering why the blond's tone sounded forced. "No, I just thought we could talk later."

"I don't feel like talking," Draco stated coolly, as if he was angry.

Harry was trying not to get angry in front of the girl so he bit his tongue and nodded.

"Could we at least get together later?"

"I'm busy tonight," Draco stated, glancing at the girl from the corner of his eye.

"Okay…when will you be free?" Harry asked, trying so hard not to raise his voice.

"I'll let you know," he stated, turning around to signal he was done talking.

Harry didn't even wait to watch them walk away for he headed in the opposite direction, inwardly fuming. Draco was suddenly being cool and distant again and Harry didn't understand why. He thought that giving him some time to cool off would allow him to get through his stress from studying. He decided that despite the blond's cool attitude he was going to confront him again that night. So after Quidditch practice Harry followed Draco up to his room.

"Potter, why are you following me?" Draco quipped in annoyance as he entered his common room.

"I told you we need to talk," Harry said firmly.

"And I told you I was busy tonight," Draco shot back, tapping his wand on his door to open it.

"Draco, why are you acting this way?" Harry blurted out as the blond took a step inside his room.

"Why?" he exclaimed. "Because you're being annoying Potter!"

"How am I being annoying? I'm trying to work things out between us!" Harry shot back.

Draco suddenly wheeled around to face him and took a step outside of his door. "Work things out? Is that what you call flying around with some other boy?"

"What?" Harry's eyes widened. "I can't believe it! So you complain about me supposedly spying on you but then you do the same thing?"

"That's not the point Potter!" Draco angrily exclaimed while narrowing his eyes. "I saw you two being all cuddly with each other. You were out there for a long time with him. So just because you assume I'm having some fling with a random girl you can just go off with someone else even when you have no proof against me, is that right?"

"I wasn't going off with him, Draco! I was helping him with his flying moves!"

"I saw you two hugging and it didn't look like a friendly hug!" Draco shouted.

Harry glanced around the common room nervously and then back at the blond. "Can I please come inside so we don't make a scene?"

Pursing his lips, Draco flung the door open and Harry entered his room. The door was slammed shut behind him and the blond crossed his arms angrily.

"Nothing happened between me and Aron! He was just hugging me in thanks for teaching him some flying moves!" Harry exclaimed in exasperation.

Draco snorted in response and leaned up against the door. "Well it seems like he's more interested in getting close to you," he drawled.

"Look, you're the one who didn't want to talk to me! I gave you some space so that we could both cool off! I'm telling you that Aron asked me in class to help him with his flying techniques and he hugged me in thanks. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me! And at least I'm giving you all the details. You wouldn't even tell me what you were helping the girl with or even what her name was!" Harry argued, gesturing with his hands.

Draco uncrossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows. "She is a classmate who needed help with her essay because her English isn't perfect, alright? When you saw us in the library I was telling her about what we learned in class and how she might do an outline for her essay!"

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Because you were being nosey, Potter!" Draco shouted, sounding frustrated. He suddenly walked to his desk and began closing some of his books. "You acted like you automatically knew what I was doing and you were treating me like I was some child! I don't need you to watch me every minute and isn't having a relationship about trusting the other person?"

The question surprised Harry and while he knew that was exactly the case, hearing it from Draco had stunned him.

"Er…yeah," Harry agreed, feeling his anger decrease a little. "I'm sorry, okay? I know I jumped to conclusions. It's just that we have been arguing for the past couple of weeks due to stress from school and we've been taking it out on each other. That's why I jumped to conclusions so fast because I was worried our relationship was weakening."

Draco snorted again and crossed his arms. He leaned up against the bed post and remained silent. Harry sighed and approached him slowly.

"I'm sorry," he repeated sincerely.

Glancing at him as he shook his bangs from his face, Draco shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine, Potter."

"Please don't close up, Draco," Harry said, approaching even closer.

The blond stared at him and then raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry stood less than a foot in front of him. "I mean that I know we've both been under stress lately, but please don't let that get between us. It was my fault for accusing you like that. So don't distance yourself because you're angry."

"I'm not angry, Potter," Draco inhaled deeply.

"So, you forgive me?" Harry asked.

Draco snorted in amusement. "Yes, Potter."

"And…are we still okay?"

"Wonderful," Draco drawled.

Harry couldn't tell if he was making a joke or not but he rose his hand up and gently began easing Draco's bangs away from his eyes. The blond just stared at him silently, not seeming to mind what he was doing.

"So, were you jealous of Aron?" Harry asked, his tone sounding subtly amused.

"Potter, don't flatter yourself," Draco said, snorting. "You're the one who seemed to be in a jealous rage."

"I wasn't in a rage," Harry argued.

He then stepped even closer to the blond. Slowly, Harry wound his fingers in Draco's hair and leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. It had been a couple weeks since he had kissed him passionately and as their lips collided Harry actually felt something in his gut. Almost instantly, the chaste kissed turned into longing and the desperation of not having felt each other's touch in a while. Draco's hands moved to his back and the heat began flaring between them. Just like in the Hogsmeade changing room, their desire which had been pushed down during their arguments was finally released.

Draco grabbed Harry's shirt roughly and pulled him over to the bed. Draco toppled ungracefully onto it first and as soon as Harry landed on top of him he began moving his lips across the blond's cheek to his neck. Harry began kissing and sucking on the blond's neck causing audible sighs and groans to emit from the other boy. With a wave of his wand Draco's shirt disappeared and Harry began trailing his lips over the blond's chest. Draco let out a soft groan as Harry lips passed over a nipple and began sucking down across his muscular abdomen. He explored the blond's body noting places where he was more sensitive and responsive, such as his ribs and close to his hip.

Then waving his wand again Draco's pants vanished and Harry began kissing down farther, tonguing the waistband of his boxers. Draco's breathing was deeper now and he let out a harsh breath as Harry moved the left side of his boxers down with his mouth. Draco's bare hip was revealed and Harry kissed on it before trailing his tongue along the bone and then dipping down into the crease of the blond's pubic bone. Draco's body shifted and he took in a deep breath, obviously becoming aroused as Harry went closer and closer to his destination. Harry kissed over the blond's thigh, covered by his boxers, and moved his lips across the blond's erection. Draco's fists clenched the bed covers and he let out a sound.

Finally, Harry slid the boxers down and stared at the erection, trailing his tongue down the blond's hip before he moved his head toward the bulging penis. He took the tip in his mouth slowly and Draco's hips arched up as he groaned deeply. Instinctively, his hands came up and wound in Harry's hair. Gently, Harry tongued the soft, sensitive flesh of the tip of the blond's penis before engulfing the whole thing in his mouth. Draco let out a loud groan and tightened his grip on Harry's hair as he began to suck consistently. Harry moved his head allowing the penis to slide out of his mouth a bit before he sucked harder as he took it back in. Draco let out a couple groans and moved his hips upward. Harry did this a couple times until Draco was dripping pre-cum in his mouth. He didn't want to finish the blond off so he let the penis slide out. Harry then waved his wand over himself so he was wearing nothing.

Harry then grabbed Draco's hand and the blond began to sit up. Without really even thinking, Harry moved to sit on Draco's lap with his legs spread apart. The blond seemed to understand what he wanted for he adjusted his own legs in his sitting position so that his erection was lined up with Harry's entrance. Harry slowly raised his body up and felt Draco's erection entering slowly. It had been a while since they had sex so while Harry was tighter than usual it felt so much more intense. Harry groaned deeply, closing his eyes and leaning his head back as the erection was gently pushed further and further inside of him.

Once Harry was adjusted, he rocked forward and it sent waves of pleasure through both of them. Draco's arms tightened around Harry's lower back and waist as they moved in sync. The blond remained in a sitting position as Harry rode him. After becoming adjusted their pace began to quicken until the bed was trembling from the force. Draco was gripping his hips painfully hard as he groaned loudly. Their bare chests rubbed together every time Harry rocked forward. After some time, Harry leaned down and pressed his lips to Draco's, sliding his tongue inside of his warm mouth. Draco accepted the kiss instantly and their tongues wrapped around one another's even as their pace continued. Harry was gasping for breath when he finally released his orgasm. It came between them, getting on Draco's chest and stomach but he didn't even seem to notice. The blond's eyes were shut and he groaned deeply as Harry continued to rock back and forth with the help of Draco's hands that were on his hips. The blond released his orgasm moments later and Harry groaned as he felt the hot sperm flow inside his passage.

It took them some time to come down from their ecstasy and when they finally did Harry slid off his lap and began tugging the blond toward the head of the bed. Draco followed his direction and the two of them slid under the covers, after waving a cleaning spell. Harry then pushed his body right up against Draco's and laid an arm across the blond's chest. They lay in silence for several minutes.

"Draco, we need to find a way to deal with school stress without taking it out on each other," Harry said gently, running his fingers up his chest to his neck.

Draco inhaled deeply and then tilted his head to glance down at him. "That ruins the point of make-up sex, Potter," he said, sounding amused.

Harry laughed softly. "I guess you're right. Er, Draco?"

"Hmm?" the blond questioned sounding a bit tired.

"I was wondering if we could just talk, you know like friends."

"About what?" he asked, shifting back to look at him.

Harry gave him a small shrug and tilted his head so their eyes locked together. "Anything. Let's just open up to each other. Tell me anything that's bothering you now or in the past."

Draco snorted softly. "Like what?"

"Um…like maybe the war," Harry suggested gently. "Like doing Voldemort's bidding or your parents or what it was like growing up for you."

Letting out a breath, Draco stared up at the ceiling in silence for what felt like a while but it was only a few minutes.

"My father basically controlled the way I thought about people, things, the world," Draco began quietly. "He never complimented me he only said what I could improve on and what a Malfoy heir should think like and act like. He yelled at me quite frequently."

"He never hit you, did he?" Harry interrupted, glancing at him with concern.

Draco shrugged lightly. "Not much. More when I was younger and still learning but it was only occasional slaps on the arm or cheek. It wasn't like he beat me."

Harry snuggled up closer and nodded. "He sounds like a bastard."

Draco's lips curled into a smile. "Yeah. And he told me that if I didn't join Voldemort's ranks he was not only going to disown me but that sooner or later Voldemort would find out that one of the family members who's supposed to be loyal to him wasn't and that he'd track me down and kill me or force me to join. So my father told me it's better to join now and do so willingly. My father left no room for argument and kept telling me gruesome stories about what the Dark Lord did to people. Eventually, I agreed out of fear. My very first mission was to kill Dumbledore," Draco stated with bitterness and displeasure. "Not even the Dark Lord had been able to kill Dumbledore thus far but he gave that assignment to me; a new recruit who was much younger than anyone else among his followers."

"Definitely unfair and cruel," Harry said angrily. "Did he ever…you know, torture you?"

"Once," Draco said coolly. "It was when I failed to kill Dumbledore the first time around. He called me in front of many of his other followers including my father and lectured me about failure then he put me under the Cruciatus curse and told me if I failed again it would be the last time. My mother was paranoid so she told my Godfather Severus—"

"Snape is your Godfather?" Harry interjected with surprise.

The blond nodded and continued. "Yeah, so she made him swear to an Unbreakable Vow to help me no matter what so I wouldn't get killed. That's why he killed Dumbledore for me; he honestly had no choice."

"That's…shocking," Harry whispered. "I had no idea. I always thought he was pretending and that he had done it because he had been on Voldemort's side the whole time."

"Truthfully he probably would've killed him anyway even if he hadn't made an Unbreakable Vow."

"Yeah," Harry agreed darkly. "So…when I saw you in the bathroom crying?"

"That was after I had been tortured and told I had one more chance," Draco said, shrugging uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. And I'm really sorry for using that spell on you. I honestly had no idea what it was or that it would hurt you so badly," Harry said.

Draco snorted and shook his head. "It's in the past, Harry so it doesn't matter."

Harry blinked in shock. "You called me by my first name."

Glancing down at him, the blond stared at him looking a bit surprised at well. He obviously hadn't noticed the slip. Smiling widely, Harry leaned up and kissed him gently. Draco kissed him back and Harry remained up against him.

"Potter?" Draco asked after a long moment of silence.

"Hmm?" Harry asked, opening his eyes.

"Aren't you going to tell me what you went through?"

Harry tilted his head upward and his eyes widened. "You want to hear it?"

Draco rolled his eyes a bit. "I thought you wanted to talk."

"I do, I just…Yeah, I can tell you," Harry said, feeling his stomach flutter. "Well besides having relatives that locked me in a cupboard and starved me, I guess it started when I first learned I was a wizard."

Draco glanced down at him and his eyes gleamed an unreadable emotion. Harry wasn't sure what he was thinking but he just continued. He began briefly about the Dursleys and went into how he found out his parents were murdered. Then he skipped over his brief meetings with Voldemort through the Chamber of Secrets and so forth. Finally he got to the prophecy and how he lost his Godfather.

"Then Dumbledore told me about how Voldemort achieved immortality by splitting his soul and placing them into specific objects," Harry said, after a long talk.

"Is that why he was so hideous?" Draco asked.

Harry laughed. "I'm not sure, but that's a good theory. Anyway so I basically had to find however many of these Horcruxes he had and destroy them. Dumbledore destroyed one and his hand turned all black and charred so I can't imagine that I would've survived destroying them all, even if I could have found them. So that's when I went back in time and stopped Voldemort from learning about Horcruxes which was no easy task. It felt like it took me months while I was there. Thankfully time didn't really pass in the present, but it was hard finding any books that Tom Riddle might use and then corrupting Professor Slughorn's memories. But it actually worked."

"You didn't think it would?" Draco asked curiously, glancing at him.

Harry moved his head over the blond's shoulder. "No, I wasn't sure it would. But it was really my only option since I couldn't even find one Horcrux. Voldemort had cleverly hidden them. Still I'm glad it did."

Smiling, Harry stared up at him and Draco gazed back. Harry reached up a hand to caress the blond's cheek and was surprised when Draco was the one to bend down for the kiss. As their lips connected and began to passionately move in a slow rhythm Harry felt relief along with happiness flow through him. It seemed that Draco's defenses had finally been completely broken.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Narcoleptic86**: Yeah I realized the party moved slowly which is why I changed the party scene a bit. It should be better now. Yes, now Harry and Draco can really move on to bonding now that they've gotten things out in the open and they've become even closer, surprisingly. This was kind of the step that was needed in order to break Draco's shell entirely.

**QuincePaste: **Thank you! I changed the party scene a bit in the last chapter because it was moving too slowly so it should be more interesting now! And now Draco's shell has finally been completely broken! Yay!

**DestinyEntwinements: **Yep, Draco made a move last chapter and now this chapter is finally showing that his shell has been completely broken. Now the real bonding can begin!

**GreenEyedCatDragon: **Yeah, I think Ron already had a nice wake-up call seeing them lying together, lol! But you're right, it'll take some time for Harry to forgive Ron and the red-head will see him and Draco together more.

**GoddessMoonLady: **Lol! Yeah, it's too bad the mirror interrupted them, huh? Yes, Draco finally has lowered all defenses now. The stress actually brought them closer together so finally the real bonding can begin!

**Skittlelove: **Yes I do love metallic clothing! It's so shiny and pretty and I'm like drawn to it like a bug is drawn to a light. Lol! So I had to have Harry and Draco in some metallic clothing. No, I agree. Draco isn't happy with Ron and won't be for a long while! Oh that's alright! Review whenever you get a chance, lol!

**JennBenn3148: **Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you like this! Yes, I purposefully made Ginny to be a jealous bitch because I really do think that after growing up and turning pretty and having boys all over her (plus having had a crush on Harry since she was ten) would make her want Harry even more (since he was seemingly not interested). Plus, since J.K. put them together in the sixth book, to my disappointment, I couldn't every well ignore that so I had to find a way to show that Harry wasn't interested. Lol! I think maybe I overdid it in some parts, but she's finally gone now! Yeah I'm not a Ron/Hermione fan either. At one point I was a Hermione/Harry fan, but slash is much more interesting! Hehe! I'm so glad you think Draco and Harry are still in character. It's very hard since technically by the canon characters they wouldn't ever come together, so I'm very relieved to hear that! Thank you very much! I shall update asap!

**Smurff: **Lol! Yes you are very dedicated! And I don't know why FF didn't alert anyone. But I did change the party scene last chapter (a bit) because someone told me it was too slow-moving and I read it over and it was. So it should be a little more interesting now.

**Cath: **Thanks very much! Yeah, Draco can be cute when he wants to be, lol! I shall update asap!

**Fudgebaby: **Thank you!

**Shoozie: **Oh cool an eyebrow piercing? Did it hurt? I only have two piercings on both ears but that's enough for me. You're right—piercings are hot though! Especially on Draco! I shall update asap!

**C.Khafre: **Thanks! I was told it was a little boring so I did change the party scene so it runs smoother now. And I think it's a bit more interesting. It was a bit boring, lol! But I'm glad you were satisfied enough. And hopefully this chapter is even better! Hehe! Yeah, homework's a killer! I almost went over my goal this time! Hopefully I can get the next chapter up sooner.

**Branwen777: **You're right, Draco's slowly initiating things. First comes acceptance then comes initiation, lol! So finally Draco's shell has been completely opened so he'll start initiating things more. Also I changed the party scene a bit so it's more interesting now. And I guess you got your wish, in a way. The two of them basically became a bit jealous, lol! Yeah too bad the mirror interrupted them last chapter, huh? Lol! Well at least you got your fill in this chapter!

**The Real Jackie-O: **Thank you very much! I'm very happy to hear you like this!

**The Earth Mystic: **Yeah, I love Twister! Lol! I did change the party scene a bit though so it's more interesting now. Draco was a bit distant in this chapter because he was in front of people, especially some from Hogwarts who knew him before. Also he was looking back on how things had changed so quickly between them and he was surprised by it. And this chapter shows that his shell has finally been completely broken so now the real bonding between him and Harry can begin!

**Jeje: **I'm glad you like the sleeping bag scene! Lol! Yeah, Draco can be cute when he wants to. Also, I did change the party scene a bit, because it was rather slow-moving, so it should be a bit more interesting now. :-)

**SilverJadlyn: **Wow, you read all 24 chapters? I'm really happy to hear you like this! Yeah, some other reviewers said they either skipped over it because of its summary (because post-Hogwarts stories I guess turn out not as interesting as when it's kept in the canon) but also many said they skipped over a lot of the Prologue, which I don't blame them! I don't like Ginny/Harry but since J.K. put them together I couldn't ignore that. I just had to find a way around it, lol! Thank you so much for the compliments! I'm really glad you're enjoying this! Just out of curiosity when you finally opened this to see what it was like, did you skim the prologue too or did it interest you from the start? Just good facts to know for improving my writing. Hehe! And yes I do feel very happy you put me on your favs! Thanks!

**Fourth-face-of-the-goddess: **Lol! Sorry there wasn't much detail about Draco's reaction. It wasn't actually that important, but at least you know what happened (briefly). I will update asap:-)

**GrimWriter: **Lol! Sorry this took a little longer than expected to get out. I really am hating homework right now! ARGH! But anyway, I shall update asap!

**Ghosthly-Shadow: **Yeah, Ron is back although Harry is still going to have a hard time trusting him for a while. And Draco even more so. But things are finally looking up now! More fluff to come!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight: **I am very happy you told me that. I went back to re-read the party scene and it was rather slow-moving. So I changed the main party scene so hopefully it flows better and is more interesting. Thanks for being honest with me! And yes, Ron apologized but it'll still take time for Harry to completely trust him. At least Draco's shell has finally been completely shattered now! Yay for make-up sex:-)

**gbheart: **I'm glad you liked it! I did change the party scene a bit to make it more interesting. And yes, Draco can be cute when he wants to be! Hehe! Yes, finally Ron is sort-of back in the picture so things are looking up!

**Kari-Sama: **Oh yes, it'll take some time before Harry completely trusts Ron again. It'll take Draco twice as long, lol! But like the chapter states, it's a step forward at least. And yes, Draco can be cute when he wants to be, lol! He will have more cute moments!

**Hkph: **Oh good! I'm glad the party scene was interesting! I had to change it (and you luckily read it after I revised it) because it was pretty slow-moving at first. I'm glad you thought Draco's questioning was in-place. It just had to come eventually, especially since a lot has changed between them in such a short amount of time. I shall update asap!


	26. A Perfect Day

**Captivation**

**Chapter 25: A Perfect Day**

Over the next couple of weeks Harry slept in Draco's room every night. Their bond had strengthened and so far they hadn't had any more serious arguments. In fact, they were getting along just fine. The mock Quidditch finale came and as it turned out they wouldn't be the first team to compete. The way it worked was similar to the real Quidditch championships. There were five teams and two competed at once. Whoever was the victor moved on to the next until there were only two teams left to compete. Harry felt more than prepared because of the year's practicing and also the matches they had had. So as they watched the first two teams compete, they sat in the stands together.

"That was a bad move," Draco murmured, referring to the Muteki Chaser who tried to throw the Quaffle in himself even though it would've been better to pass it to the other Chaser.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, glancing at him. "They're still ahead though. I wonder who's going to win."

Draco shrugged and moved his bangs out of his face. Harry smiled and was about to lean over and kiss his cheek when a voice broke his thoughts.

"Hey Harry!"

He turned and saw Aron slipped through the crowd to get to him.

"Hi Aron," Harry greeted with a nod.

The other boy was smiling brightly as he sat down beside him. "I was looking for you."

"Oh," Harry blinked. "Er, Aron this is Draco."

He gestured to the blond who raked his hand through his hair as he nodded toward Aron.

"Hi," Aron said nervously, glancing down at his hands. "Um, Harry, I just…I wanted to tell you that I've been practicing those moves you taught me when I have time. I think I'm getting much better now."

"I'm glad," Harry smiled sincerely.

He felt Draco shift and Harry turned to see the blond standing up. "Draco?"

"I'm going to get some Wizard Snaps," he said, tilting his head as he glanced down at him. "Do you want anything?"

"I'll just share with you," Harry smiled.

Draco raised an eyebrow but went off to get some Wizard Snaps. Aron was silent for several minutes, staring out at the Quidditch field before he spoke.

"Harry, um, I heard that you and Draco are a couple."

Blinking, Harry turned to him. "Er, yeah we are. You didn't see the article in the Daily Prophet?"

Aron shook his head. "No, I don't read it. My parents told me it's rubbish. They read some Scotland newspaper but I can't remember the name of it."

Harry nodded, not really knowing what to say. The other boy appeared a bit flustered but he wasn't sure why.

"So…how long have you two been together?" Aron asked tentatively.

"Erm, about eight months now," Harry calculated.

"Wow…," Aron trailed off. "Um…do you…love him?"

Harry turned his head, surprised by the question. "Er, I—"

He didn't get to answer since Draco came slipping past students to get to them with the food. Harry gazed at him and smiled as the blond sat beside him.

"The line was long," Draco stated in annoyance, referring to the fact that he had taken about fifteen minutes.

He waved his wand and floated the Wizard Snaps between them.

"Here," Draco gestured to it.

"Thanks," Harry smiled, gazing at him.

Unexpectedly, Draco leaned in and pressed his lips against Harry's jaw. Then he slid his lips down Harry's neck. Suppressing a groan, Harry tilted his head so that their lips met in a simple but warm kiss. Draco pulled away and then took a Wizard Snap, turning back to the game as he ran his hands through his hair again. Turning back to Aron he saw that the other boy had been watching them and then quickly turned back to the game. For the rest of the game, Aron didn't speak much except when Harry pointed some things out. Finally, it was their turn to play and Aron wished them both luck. Harry noticed the other boy seemed to have a disappointed expression on his face, but he didn't dwell much on it as he joined beside Draco with the rest of the team.

The captain gave them a pep talk and then they were up in the air. The Muteki school had won so they were facing them. They won the first match and then two other schools competed and then they played the victor of that. And finally the last team they had to face was the American team. Harry was more prepared this time though since they had been given breaks in between matches. Now they were the last two. Half way into the game, Harry realized that they were only one point ahead and that if the American team got the snitch now they'd lose. Instead of throwing two simultaneous bludgers toward Harry, they aimed toward a Chaser.

Harry's heart clenched as he saw the bludgers heading straight for Draco as he was trying to score. And at the same time, the snitch was in sight flying about twenty meters away. Harry's eyes narrowed as his hands gripped his broom tightly. In less than a second he zoomed off, chasing the snitch before the American Seeker could even begin to move. The snitch tried to zigzag out of his reach but because Harry's adrenaline was pumping he tilted sideways off the broom and snatched the snitch then immediately raced toward Draco. The blond was less than five feet form the goal and he heard the whizzing. He turned and his eyes widened in shock as both bludgers came from different directions. He was about to try and dodge them, even though he didn't have enough time to react, but just then Harry swooped toward him and pulled him out of the way by grabbing his broom. The bludgers missed them both by centimeters. Harry stopped a few feet away, releasing the hold on Draco's broom so that their brooms floated next to one another's. Harry reached out and gripped Draco's shoulder gently.

"Are you alright?"

"Potter, I'm fine! You didn't have to save me like some hero and give up the snitch!" Draco exclaimed with furrowed eyebrows.

"Who said I gave it up?" Harry grinned, reaching his right fist out. He opened it to reveal the fluttering snitch.

Draco stared at it in surprise then he snorted. "It's just like you Potter to do an unnecessarily dangerous move to get all this attention."

He was referring to the gawking stares and the cheering.

"Just so you know, you didn't have enough time to dodge those bludgers so you could've gotten seriously injured," Harry said defensively.

"Potter, there are always dangers in Quidditch. It's what makes it exciting to the audience in the first place. I'm just as well-trained as anyone else. You can't follow me around to every match for the rest of my life trying to protect me. I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but I can still be concerned. And it isn't wrong to help you out once in a while, is it?" Harry countered.

Draco rolled his eyes a bit. "Fine Potter, just this once I'll let it slide since you managed to catch the snitch as well."

Unexpectedly, Harry leaned forward and wrapped his arms him in front of everyone.

"Potter, you're drawing quite a bit of attention," Draco quipped.

"Draco," Harry pulled back. "Shut-up."

The blond's eyes narrowed but Harry just embraced him tightly and surprisingly Draco didn't complain anymore. Seconds later, Harry released him and two floated back to the group to join their teammates and captain.

"That was spectacular Harry!" Liam exclaimed, patting his back. "Although I think you and Draco are going to be the hot talk between all these schools for a while."

"Fabulous," Draco drawled sarcastically, pushing his sweaty bangs out of his face.

"Tomorrow's the party!" Liam exclaimed in excitement. "Final exams are over and now we get a celebration!"

Harry grinned widely. They were then called over toe shake hands with the other players. Wood flashed him a knowing grin and ruffled his hair once. After a long day, they entered the showers excited about the party the next afternoon. Harry relished in the warm, soothing water that caressed his skin. Glancing over at Draco he saw the other boy trailing his hands down his body to rinse the soap suds away. The sight aroused him and as Harry watched him he realized just how strongly he felt for the other boy. He was positive now that he truly loved him. Although he wanted Draco to know that, he also didn't want to intimidate him. If Draco was still unsure of whether or not he truly loved Harry back he didn't want to put the other boy on the spot.

Harry turned the water off and began drying off. Draco followed suit shortly after, followed by other boys. The two then headed back toward Draco's room silently. When they got in the room, both of them slipped into their boxers and crawled into bed.

"Well, it has been an interesting year," Harry murmured quietly.

"That's an understatement," Draco replied tiredly.

Harry smiled. "I can't believe it's already summer break."

"Mmm," Draco answered in a tired agreement.

After a few seconds of silence, Harry turned his head toward him. "Say, Draco?"

"Mmm?" the blond opened his eyes and turned to stare at him.

"Would you want to go on a vacation together?"

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Vacation?"

"Yeah. Er, we have until mid-July before summer classes begin. I figure since it's been a bit crazy this year we should take a trip somewhere relaxing."

Draco stretched his arms above his head and shrugged. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure," Harry shrugged. "You know the wizard world better than I do. What would be a fun vacation?"

Staring up at the ceiling, Draco remained silently in his thoughts for several minutes.

"Well, I haven't been to the Sorcery Festival in a few years," he said.

"The Sorcery Festival?" Harry questioned curiously.

Draco snorted and shook his head. "Potter, you really need to get out more. It's a huge area with rides and games and such."

"Like an amusement park?" Harry asked.

Draco glanced at him in confusion. "That sounds like a muggle term."

"Er, it is. Anyway, that sounds like fun!" Harry smiled sincerely. "Do you know how much it would cost to go to this?"

"I'm not positive since my parents paid for me each time I went in the past. We bought a room in a fancy hotel which was right by the festival. It probably costs about 11 galleons per person just to get into the park and probably for a room it'd be about 115 galleons per night. They probably have deals depending on how long you want to stay. I suppose it's not too bad considering how many activities there are. A lot of people want to go though so purchasing tickets soon would be a good idea."

"Sounds good to me," Harry smiled. "If you're up for it."

Draco turned and glanced at him. "Might as well. It'd be better than staying around here with nothing to do."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Great! So how do we purchase the tickets?"

"You send them an owl saying you want them to hold however many tickets and then usually within a few days they reply and tell you how much it'll cost. Then you have up to twenty-four hours to send them the money or they could sell your tickets to someone else."

"Okay, I'll send them an owl tomorrow morning then," Harry smiled. "How long do you want to stay?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Draco said, shifting beneath the covers. "Normally my parents would only stay there for a couple days, since my father was really busy."

"Okay, so how about four days?" Harry suggested. "That way it gives us plenty of time to explore the activities without being too long. And if we decide afterward we want to stay longer, or go elsewhere, we can."

"Sure," Draco said, suppressing a yawn.

Harry smiled in excitement as he watched Draco's eyes close moments later. He shifted so his body was up against the blond's and closed his eyes as well. When morning came, Harry sent off an owl addressing the Sorcery Festival and even asked about any deals with hotel rooms included. That afternoon, the beginning of summer break, there was a huge celebration outside in the beautiful, warm, crisp air. The grass was lush and gleaming in the sunlight as tables were set up with all sorts of foods and sweets and drinks. All the other Quidditch teams were invited which proved to be a vast number of students.

Harry enjoyed talking with other players and so did Draco as well. The two of them didn't spend a considerable amount of time together during the celebration, for they were both off eating and talking with many others, but Harry got some time with Draco. Hours later, as Harry talked to Lucas about his growing relationship with Hermione, he spotted Draco talking with Captain Murdoch. He didn't think anything of it, since she was part of the party just like the other teachers. Later on that evening when the other school teams went back home and the year's trophy had been awarded to their school, everyone headed to the dining hall for a late dinner. Harry was walking with Lucas and two spotted Draco sitting with Tavis, Liam, Ellion, Ambreen, Dahlia and others. Many of them were leaning over toward Draco or over his shoulder. Harry and Lucas sat down at the table.

"What's that?" Harry asked, gesturing to the letter in Draco's hands that apparently was getting the attention of the rest of the table.

"It's a letter from a sponsor!" Ellion exclaimed in excitement, pulling back his curly dark red hair from his face.

Harry felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. "A sponsor?"

"Yeah, during the mock Quidditch finale there were a couple Quidditch sponsors watching for any young, new talents," Liam said. "You didn't know that?"

"Er, no. Mariabella never mentioned that," Harry said.

"Oh she probably didn't tell you guys so that you wouldn't become nervous," Tavis said.

Draco was still silently reading over the letter and Harry glanced at him. "Er, Draco, can I see it?"

The blond glanced up and then handed it over to him. Harry read it:

_Dear Draco Merlin,_

_I am pleased to tell you that your Chaser skills have caught my eye. I admire your quick reflexes and your ability to know when to pass to your teammates rather than try and score yourself. Although there are things you could work on, I am very interested in seeing how you improve by the time you graduate from the school. I'll be keeping my eye on you._

_Sincerely,_

_Celestina Maeve (Sponsor from Caerphilly, Wales; British and Irish Quidditch League)_

"Wow," Harry said, giving him a soft smile. "Congratulations!"

Draco grinned as he took back the letter as others wanted to see. Harry was happy for him, and even proud of him, but at the same time he was partially envious and mostly worried that this would mean they'd have to go separate ways eventually. But Harry was not going to ruin Draco's moment.

"This is amazing. I mean, it's nearly impossible for people to get sponsors in their first year!" Tavis exclaimed while patting Draco's back over and over again.

Draco was practically beaming and several times he raked his hands through his hair. Harry smiled despite his worries; he was very grateful that Draco's future career was looking up especially since the blond had been worried earlier about paying the loan off to Niall. So Harry pushed his concerns to the back of his mind and enjoyed eating, smiling at the way Draco glowed because of all the compliments he was getting.

By the following afternoon, while Draco was flying around on the Quidditch field, Harry received a reply from the manager of the festival. It read:

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_I am delighted to hear you would like to come to our enchanted festival. Two adult tickets will cost you twenty galleons, 15 sickles and 7 knuts per day. Since you want to stay for four days, I recommend that you purchase a room at the Celestial Haven hotel because they have discounts for the festival. If you were to purchase a room for four days it would cost you only 13 galleons, 10 sickles and 27 knuts total for four days at the festival. And the room itself for four days, with this deal, costs 207 galleons, 7 sickles and 25 knuts, which is a good deal for how popular and expensive this hotel usually is. But this is one of its busy months so they have good deals. Hope you're interested!_

_Manager Gyllis_

Harry immediately owled Gringotts to get the money extracted. It was approximately one thousand dollars for the four-day stay at the hotel plus an extra 36 dollars for four days at the festival. All in all, it wasn't that bad of a deal. Gringotts thankfully sent him the money by that evening so he sent it out to the manager at the festival right away. He got a response by the next morning saying that their room at the hotel had been reserved and their tickets had been attached with the owl. They would be leaving the very next day and Harry could hardly contain his excitement. He told Draco the good news at lunch and the other boy seemed to be looking forward to a vacation as well.

They packed fairly lightly, since it would only be for four days. Harry found it the festival and hotel were located in France. The hotel had an invisibility charm over it so only muggles couldn't see it. And it was in a beautiful area surrounded by trees off the coast of La Rochelle overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Harry now fully understood why Draco had commented about Hermione's birthday party room being middle-class. Their room, just for the two of them, was almost twice as big as Hermione's. They had a large kitchen with gleaming counters and everything about the room was magical. The dishes cleaned themselves, the beds made themselves, the leather couches and velvet chairs floated like the ones in Hermione's room only they had an expanding charm over them so a person could even use them for sleeping.

The lights turned on and off with just a flick of a wand and a person could even change the color of their sheets, floor and walls or anything to suit their tastes. All they had to do was tap their wand on the area they wanted changed and whichever color or texture they said would appear. They had a Wizard television that was charmed to grow to any screen-size and it floated up to ten feet off the floor. Also, if a person used a simple charm with their wand they could get the channels to change just by saying them aloud. Their bedroom was enormous as well with a plush bed with both velvet and silk sheets (that expanded and changed colors, if they desired). Also the bed had charmed massagers that could appear and give the person a massage and the pillows could expand as puffy as a person wanted.

The large bathroom attached to the master suite bedroom was huge as well with a tub much like the one at Hogwarts for the Prefects. There were five faucets all of which had different colored water pour out and also the water bubbled like a Jacuzzi. The different colored waters had different scents all for the purpose of relaxing and calming nerves. Charmed sponges would wash them so they wouldn't have to do any work and the bath could clean itself up as well.

Over all, Harry was beyond awed. Draco didn't seem that impressed by it, but he did seem happy to be away from school for a while. The moment they set their trunks in the room the clothes began unpacking themselves. After Harry explored all of the rooms, still grinning with amazement, the two of them set out to see the festival. According to what Draco said, the festival was too large to explore it all in one day so they decided to head to the nearest area first and work their way to the end. The festival was nearby the hotel, but it was hidden away from muggles much like Diagon Alley. There was an alleyway they went down and at the end there was a stone wall. All Draco had to do was to say alahomora to open it. The wall, detecting magic, opened to them and Harry heard the loud laughter and chatter of wizards and witches alike.

Harry saw several people dressed up in fancy costumes, one pretending to be Merlin with Excalibur (though there appeared to be no Arthur) and he was floating while the sword changed colors and let out eruptions of colorful sparks to kids' amusement. He saw a cotton-candy stand and watched perplexed as the cotton-candy swirled itself and as the little girl took a bite of the pink her hair turned pink. Laughing, her brother took a bite of blue and his face turned blue.

"Draco, can we get some of that?" Harry asked, gesturing to it.

Draco snorted in amusement. "That cotton-candy's for kids, Potter. There's better stuff a little farther down."

Curiously, Harry followed him to a different stand where there were different colored cotton-candy sticks making themselves. Draco paid for two floating sticks to the woman and gave a blueish-purple colored cotton-candy to Harry. He watched as Draco took a piece off and ate it. He didn't seem to change any colors, thankfully, which Harry knew was why he said the other cotton-candy was for kids. When he took a bite, the cotton-candy began fizzing and melting in his mouth at once while sending bursts of flavor all over his taste buds. It made him his stomach feel all warm and fuzzy, almost like Butterbeer, only the cotton-candy was fizzy and sweet.

"This is good," Harry said, taking another bite.

"It's a bit on the sweet side, but it's fine," Draco said as he took another bite of his.

"What ride do you want to go on first?" Harry asked as they walked, passing through the crowd.

"I suppose we could start with one of my favorites," Draco replied as Harry followed him.

"Okay," Harry smiled, walking right beside the blond.

As they approached the ride, however, Harry got a good look at it. There was an enormous Hungarian Horntail statue that looked life-like and it was charmed to blow fire, roar and snap its jaws. There were small cars shaped like golden dragon eggs that floated around the dragon really fast and then dove inside its mouth. He could hear girls screaming and he gulped, stopping in his tracks. Draco turned, having noticed that he had stopped.

"Potter, are you coming?"

"Er, yeah, but…it's just that…I've never been on a roller-coaster before," Harry admitted, using the muggle term.

Draco, however, understood and slowly approached him. He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You're not afraid are you Potter?"

"Not afraid, just…uncertain," Harry said, shrugging.

"They're harmless. The fire feels hot as you get close to it but never does it actually touch anyone. It's charmed to disappear before getting too close to anybody. And there's a ride inside the dragon," Draco said, tilting his head.

Against the glowing light, his earring shimmered and Harry couldn't help but admire him. After a slight hesitation, he followed Draco up to the ride. As they got into the floating egg, Draco side-glanced him and Harry got the feeling he was making sure he wasn't uncomfortable. Immediately, Harry relaxed knowing that Draco was with him and the ride was obviously not going to harm him or allow him to fly out of the egg (and if by some slim to none chance that happened he could use his wand to levitate to the ground). Magically, straps came around their waists and across their chests. Draco leaned back comfortably, not even holding onto the bar that was within reach. Harry was tempted to hold onto the bar, but he didn't because he wasn't going to give Draco the chance to tease him about it afterward.

The egg zoomed off at incredible speed and Harry's stomach lurched at the tingly sensation. After a minute, however, the discomfort of the new sensation morphed into excitement. He realized it wasn't so different from the feeling of riding a broom. The egg swerved all around the dragon as it snapped and roared and finally they were swallowed by it. Inside the egg followed a path like a roller coaster ride and they were serving and looping upside down as bursts of sparks hit their vehicle changing it colors in the process. Harry had never had so much fun before.

After the ride he dragged Draco on all the rides he could find in that area. The blond was a bit annoyed at first because Harry just grabbed his hand and began searching for more rides, but the two of them completely forgot any past or future worries. They played some games and in one of the games they had to guess what spell, charm or hex the person at the booth was thinking of. Harry, neglecting to let anyone know he had been trained in Legilmency, guessed correctly and won a pack of famous Wizard cards (with chocolate frogs) and a charmed ring (that glowed when danger was nearby). Draco won some prizes as well by playing in an eating contest. He ate the most Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans including the nasty ones, which the other contestants couldn't bear to eat.

"How did you eat the vomit and booger flavored ones?" Harry asked, after he had retrieved his prize of twenty galleons.

Draco's lips curled into a sly smirk. "I just plugged my nose while I ate so I tasted nothing."

Harry burst out laughing and grinned at him. "Well aren't you sly. Actually, I have to confess something as well," he said as Draco turned to him. "I know Legilmency which is how I won the last challenge."

"I'm surprised Potter," Draco rose both eyebrows while he smirked. "I didn't think you had any Slytherin in you."

Harry smiled and shrugged. "Well, I can speak Parseltongue so I have a little Slytherin in me."

"And how is it Potter that a Gryffindor like you has such a rare Slytherin gift?" Draco asked, staring at him curiously.

Glancing at him, Harry shrugged. "Dumbledore thought that Voldemort transferred his ability to speak Parseltongue the night he tried to kill me. Er, the first time he tried to kill me," Harry added with a small grin. "So I guess it's not really my own innate power."

Draco shrugged. "I suppose since you can do it it's still your ability."

Harry smiled brightly and suddenly clasped his hand in Draco's. The blond turned his head, looking taken aback but he didn't move to separate their hands.

"So where to next?" Harry asked, feeling very content.

"It's almost eleven thirty and the festival closes at midnight," Draco shrugged. "There's not much left to do in this area."

"There has to be at least one ride left in this part," Harry urged, glancing at him.

Draco raked his free hand through his hair while in thought. "I think there's another one that we missed by the entrance."

"Okay, let's go back," Harry said, tugging on his hand.

The blond followed wordlessly as they retraced their steps back to the entrance. Draco was right—they had missed a ride tucked away diagonal from the entrance. It wasn't a roller-coaster ride, which was why they probably missed it. It was similar to the muggle Ferris Wheel in that there were floating compartments shaped like unicorn heads that held up to four people inside. A beautiful, life-like unicorn floated in the center as the levitating compartments floated circularly around the unicorn. And as the unicorn flapped it wings and got higher and higher, the compartments rose too at least two hundred and fifty feet off the ground. And then the unicorn would fly back down and the compartments would lower and slowly turn until the ride stopped.

Harry and Draco got into a compartment and it began floating upward at a nice pace, not too fast and not too slow. The stars were shining brilliantly in the sky and as Harry peered out of their compartment window he saw a star high in the sky emitting a soft blue glow. It was slightly brighter than the others and instantly he knew that was the star called Sirius. Of course it wasn't named after his Godfather, but just seeing it made him think that Sirius was watching over him (as well as his entire family). Smiling wistfully, Harry stared up at it.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Draco asked, leaning back in his seat.

Harry glanced at him and smiled softly. "That blue star up there is called Sirius. It just reminded me of my Godfather."

Draco glanced out the window at it silently. Then he slowly turned back to him. "I remember seeing an article on him during third year."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I thought he had committed murder too but then I found out he had been framed by Peter Pettigrew, as you probably know. Sirius' name was cleared a couple years ago."

Draco nodded wordlessly as Harry continued to stare up at the star. "Were you…close to him?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Harry said as his eyes dimmed. "And you know what was worse? Right when I finally opened up to him and began thinking of him as a father-figure he was taken away from me."

The compartment was filled with silence and though Harry missed Sirius dearly he didn't feel the same overwhelming grief that he had in the past. Perhaps it was because the war had ended and he had moved on or maybe it was because of his strong bond with Draco (or a combination). Either way, he was finally seeing a lot more meaning to his life.

"I'm sorry."

Harry turned, a bit surprised. Draco had his arms crossed casually over his chest and he was staring at him with large, concerned eyes. His voice had been soft when he murmured it and Harry immediately could feel the compassion radiating from the other boy. As the unicorn rose up to its fullest height, and their compartment raised high into the sky as well, Harry leaned forward toward Draco, grasping the other boy's shoulder. Their eyes, shimmering in the dim light from the stars and crescent moon, locked together and Draco began leaning down toward him as well. Their lips met and Harry felt his stomach flutter violently. He wrapped a hand around Draco's neck as the blond wound his arms around Harry's back. Slowly, as their lips caressed and moved in a gentle rhythm their mouths parted and tongues languidly touched. The kiss was deeply passionate but gentle and as Harry sat down on the same side of him as their arms remained wrapped around one another while their lips remained attached he couldn't help thinking that the day had been absolutely perfect.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

_**Author's Note:**____**I'm afraid this is coming to an end shortly. About one or two chapters left I believe. I'm afraid I'm not going to do a sequel. I just think it'd ruin it. But I do hope to do another Harry/Draco story soon! Maybe I'll start a Christmas story in time for December! Yeah, that sounds like a plan:-)**_

To Reviewers:

**Branwen777**: Oh, well I'm glad the chapter is more interesting but that it was okay before too. Thank you! I'm glad you find Harry and Draco's progress realistic!

**:**I'm glad you didn't find the party scene boring. Well, just one person commented that it was boring, but I re-read it and figured it needed some more dialogue anyway. But thanks!

**Hkph:**Lol! I'm glad you liked the jealousy. It always makes nice drama, hehe! And I'm glad you think they're relationship is progressing at a believable rate! That's what I was hoping for.

**DracoLover:**Thank you! I'm very happy you like this! And thank you for pointing out that mistake for me! I went back and fixed it. Lol! Sometimes I write too many Harry Potter stories at once and it confuses me. I'll have to watch out for those. Well, to be very honest I think it's more realistic that Harry remains on the bottom, just because of his personality. I find Draco to be more dominant and while it's natural in relationships to switch roles I feel that Harry doesn't mind being on the bottom each time. :-)

**The Earth Mystic:**Yes, it's a good thing Draco and Harry weren't split apart by their jealousies! Hehe! I'm very glad you liked it!

**GreenEyedCatDragon:**Lol! Yes, make-up sex is great! Haha!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight:**Yep! The point of reviewing is to help the author improve and to point out likes/dislikes. So yes, thank you again. Hope you enjoyed this chapter:-)

**Gbheart:**Lol! I'm glad you liked the sex scene! And yes, they needed a touchy moment. :-)

**Skittlelove:**Lol! Thanks, I'm very glad you liked the sex scene. It was time for jealousy to make a show and now it's time for mushy romance. Hehe:-)

**Smurff:**I'm very glad you thought their fight was realistic! I'm sorry I took long on the update again! It seems that some weekends are better than others, homework wise. But all in all, at least I haven't been taking forever on this story (like I have with other stories of mine, lol!). But anywhoo, thanks again:-)

**Besatt:**Aw, thanks! I'm very glad you decided to read this and found out you liked it! I shall update asap!

**Discombabulatedperson:**Lol! Don't worry, I couldn't possibly break these two up now! They've come too far! Besides, they're far too hot together. :-)

**GoddessMoonLady:**Lol! I'm very glad you liked the sex scene! And yes, I figured jealousy was inevitable between these two so I'm glad you liked it. :-)

**ItsaMiracle:**Aww, thank you! Lol! I'm glad I don't take too long to update. I do have to be honest though, most of my stories in the past have been updated slowly. I guess it's because I planned this all out first. And I'm very happy that you're still enjoying this:-)

**DestinyEntwinements:**I know, icky school! I agree! Lol! And I'm very glad you liked the bonding:-)

**Kari-Sama:**Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! Absolutely right—all good relationships have ups and downs. It was time for a more serious down and this chapter was a nice 'up', lol:-)

**Dark eyes crimzon blood:**Aw, thanks! I'm very happy to hear you like this! I shall update asap!

**Lollylover:**Hehe! Thanks:-)

**Shannon:**Wow, thank you so much for your compliments! I am very glad that you find this a realistic interpretation of their relationship. I'm glad you like Harry more now. I definitely have to say sometimes I did get annoyed with Harry in the canon series, lol! And I know that in the canon timeline it would be impossible to have Harry and Draco fall in love so it makes me very relieved to hear that you find this believable. I try and update as quickly as possible—so far I haven't exceeded 5 or 6 days. I'm trying hard:-)

**. . …:**Thanks! I'm so glad you liked their bonding. They needed some jealousy moments and some fighting, but also some mushy moments (like this chapter). Oh don't worry about reviewing on time! This chapter took me longer than I expected to post anyway! Um, I would say Draco is the man of the relationship because he's dominant during sex, but that doesn't mean that Harry's less masculine. It's very complicated…but I hate how the stereotype is that in a gay relationship one guy ALWAYS has to be "girly" or more feminine than the other and I don't think that's necessarily true. So both of them are very masculine but Draco's more dominant. Oh and I'm very happy that you liked chapter fourteen:-)

**Tiger Eye2:**Lol! Yes, Harry would agree with you on that! He's still angry at Ron too, which is why it'll take time for him to trust him again. I'm very happy you liked their bonding:-)

**Peaceful Angel:**Thank you:-)


	27. Uncertainty

Captivation

**Captivation**

_**WARNING: Sexual content.**_

**Chapter 26: Uncertainty**

The year was flying by at the Quidditch Academy. Since he and Draco were only studying the professional play aspect of Quidditch, it was only a year program. Blake had been there two years because he was studying to be a professional captain, which required more research and classes. Harry wished that his program was longer like some of the others. He didn't want it to end.

The strange thing was that his time with Draco hadn't passed by fast; their relationship remained gradual and although Draco still had his sarcasm and stubbornness while Harry's temper came out at times they eventually got through. Harry still remembered the night at the Sorcery Festival when they had kissed out of pure love; at least it had felt like love. He was certain he loved Draco but he had yet to tell him.

Ever since the night when Ron slipped Veritaserum in Draco's drink forcing him to admit that he thought he loved Harry, and then Harry had admitted his love, he didn't want to tread that line again; not yet. Back during that night, Harry had admitted to Draco he wasn't sure if it was true love and that they had a long way to go in their relationship before they really had to decide if it was love or just an infatuation. Harry had been quite sure for some time now that he loved Draco—a true and pure unconditional love that was both strongly physical and emotional. Draco's stubbornness got on his nerves at times, but Harry realized even despite their arguments once in a while he was content in their relationship; so content in fact that he didn't see an end in sight for them.

As new classes started up, Draco's sponsor letter lingered in Harry's mind. Everything else about their relationship was clear except for that; the sponsor had the potential of separating them and ending their relationship if Draco were forced to move far away. And Harry had yet to get his own sponsor letter but he thought that perhaps if they were on the same team they'd be able to stay together. Even if they didn't, Harry still believed they could find a way to work it out. The question was how Draco felt about that and Harry was too afraid to ask. He procrastinated, pushing the sponsor concern to the back of his mind because they still had years before they graduated.

It was now a few days before Merlin Day, apparently one of the most celebrated wizard holidays besides Christmas, and Harry was very grateful it landed on a weekend. Tavis was planning a huge Merlin Day celebration and Harry was looking forward to it. So after Quidditch practice and a nice shower, Harry followed Draco up to his room per usual.

"Have you heard about the Merlin Day party?" Harry asked, waving his wand so boxers appeared.

"I can't make it," Draco said, sitting down at his desk as he levitated one of his books toward him. "I got a request from the sponsor to come watch one of their practices. They want me to see if I'm interested in them or not."

"Oh, er how long will you be there?"

"Just a day," Draco responded, taking out his quill to start on an essay.

Harry felt the familiar pangs of envy and fear. He tried to smile because he was happy for him, but at the same time the concern about their separation resurfaced again.

"The Quidditch World Cup is this year as well," Harry said after a couple minutes of silence. "Would you like to go together?"

"Sure," Draco shrugged. "I haven't been to it since fourth year."

"Me too," Harry nodded feeling a little relieved.

Draco would be gone for the party but the next month they'd be going to the Quidditch World Cup together. Although Harry was concerned, he felt that bringing it up at this time would only cause more complications (or that's what he told himself) so he held back.

Time flew by and soon their date for the Quidditch World Cup came. Harry pushed away any future anxieties, excited about attending the World Cup and about spending quality time with Draco. Everything had been pre-paid, and Draco had the money to spend because he had been paid a fair amount for the request on Merlin Day. Before the World Cup began, they made their way past all the simple magical tents (in which Harry had stayed with the Weasleys back during fourth year) and went even closer to small cabins. When they entered, just like the tents, the whole cabin was twice the size Harry was expecting. There were drinks and food and a large bed inside of it with a small dining table and kitchenette.

"This is great!" Harry exclaimed, plopping down on a cushioned chair. "When does the game start again?"

"In about an hour so we have time to relax," Draco stretched his arms over his head as he sat in another chair.

Harry smiled coyly and got up from his chair. Then he approached Draco and crawled into his lap, facing him with legs on either side of the blond's hips, before Draco could even say a word.

"Potter," Draco raised an eyebrow as Harry sat down on his crotch, clothed by his nice, dark jeans, "what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Harry asked, smiling as he rested his hands on either side of Draco's shoulders.

"We really don't have time for this," Draco quipped, sounding vaguely amused.

Harry shifted on him, knowing full well that Draco couldn't really feel much through his jeans.

"Says who?" Harry questioned, grinning as he bent his head down, brushing his lips across Draco's cheek.

His lips trailed down over to Draco's pierced ear and he sucked lightly on the lobe before beginning to suck down the blond's neck. Knowing where some of Draco's more sensitive spots were located, Harry moved his shirt a bit exposing his bare shoulder so he could bite gently on the junction above his collarbone close to his shoulder. Draco let out a soft groan and Harry tilted his head to see the blond lean his head back against the couch. Grinning, Harry bit down again and then made his way back up the blond's neck until his lips found Draco's. The other boy responded immediately and soon their tongues were ravishing each other's mouths.

Harry's hands drifted between them, running down Draco's clothed abdomen until he got to the blond's jeans. Not bothering with wands, he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. Without really needing to pull them off the blond's hips much, Harry reached his hand inside, brushing against Draco's boxers and moves his hand inside of the boxers to pull out the blond's hardening erection. Draco groaned deeply and instinctively placed his hands on Harry's hips. Harry kept their lips locked together as he reached under his robe (the school robe he was wearing because it was chilly out) and pulled his own tight brown, corduroy-like pants down, along with his boxers, and spread his legs wider as he leaned in against Draco's body. Wrapping an arm around the blond's neck, Harry squeezed the other boy's erection gently with the hand that was holding it and guided it toward his entrance.

They had never really had sex mostly clothed before, but as Harry pushed the erection against his entrance he groaned deeply, exhilarated by the fact that his robe was covering their actions but they were still having sex in the confines of their private cabin. His hand released the erection as Draco was able to push it in further without help and Harry then placed his hand beside Draco's head, moaning loudly as his body arched up. Lowering his hips the erection pushed even deeper inside of him and Draco gripped his hips groaning breathlessly as he moved his own hips, pushing his erection in and then backing out again. Harry was slowly rocking against him as his hips arched up and down with their movements.

Harry groaned, letting out a breathless pant as they moved together, rocking forward and back. Draco's hands remained on his hips as the blond had his head resting back against the couch, his lips parted as moans escaped. Then, Harry placed both of his hands above Draco's head, gripping the back of the couch as he raised his hips up a bit and then plunged back down at a slightly different angle with more force. Draco released a grunt then a guttural moan and began thrusting his hips up with more determination. Harry squeezed the back of the couch rocking forward roughly, groaning deeply and breathing heavily.

As Draco thrust his hips upward Harry thrust downward and the two released their loud breathless groans and Harry opened his eyes, not realizing he had shut them. He watched as Draco's eyes flickered open as well. As they panted and groaned, Harry rocking back and forth with rough force, their eyes locked together. For a minute they watched each other releasing moans from their parted lips as they breathed heavily and then Harry crushed his lips down upon Draco's, forcing his tongue into the boy's mouth. Draco's tongue responded eagerly and he felt Draco's fingers digging into his hips as they continued to rock. Their moans were muffled through their passionate kiss, but soon Harry broke away tilting his head back as he grunted, releasing a breathless pant as his orgasm hit him. It was hidden beneath his robe but he knew it had gotten on both of them (though he didn't care at the moment).

Draco kept their eyes locked together as he grunted and panted, continuing to hold Harry's hips as he thrust in while Harry continued to rock forward and back despite having finished his orgasm. Very shortly, Draco arched his hips up and tilted his head backward even more as he released his orgasm inside of him. Both of them groaned in unison and as they came down from their ecstasy, Harry waved his wand to clean up any signs of their passion. Then he pulled up his own boxers and pants while Draco buttoned his jeans back up. Harry then moved off of his lap and sat next to him, relishing in the afterglow.

"So how much time do we have?" Harry asked, smiling with amusement.

Draco raised both eyebrows but waved his wand to show the time. "Fifteen minutes. We should probably leave soon to get good seats anyway."

"We'll be in the fifth row from the field, right?"

"Right, but we want to make sure we get in the center of that row so we can see better," Draco persisted.

Harry smiled. "Well, do you want to get going?"

Draco shrugged, raking his hands through his hair to neaten his bangs. "Why not."

The two of them rose and headed out of the cabin. They began walking back toward the direction of the tents, through the larger tented areas, deciding to circle back around after ten or so minutes. As they walked, they talked about the World Cup and who they thought was going to win. Their conversation was abruptly broken when a familiar voice called out.

"Harry?"

Turning to the left, the two of them saw Ron levitating several snacks and drinks while staring at them bewildered. The red-head's eyes landed on Draco but quickly looked away returning to Harry.

"Er, hi," Harry smiled awkwardly. "Are you here with your family?"

"Yeah," Ron answered, sounding a bit nervous himself. "Where are you guys?"

"In the cabin back there," Draco drawled, pointing toward it.

Ron's eyes followed his direction and while he tried not to look envious he just nodded and shrugged.

"If you'll excuse me I think I'm going to go get some food and drinks ahead of time," Draco drawled, glancing at Harry who nodded.

"You can save us a good spot too. I'll meet you there in just a few minutes."

Draco nodded wordlessly and left them alone. For a couple minutes there was an awkward silence. Finally, Ron cleared his throat.

"Um, you two are still together?"

"Yeah," Harry said, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why?"

Ron's eyes widened and he shook his head. "I didn't mean…I'm just surprised is all. I just thought it wouldn't work out or something, you know because of how Mal…Draco is."

Harry noticed the slip, inwardly smiling at the fact that Ron could no longer call him Malfoy any longer.

"He's really not the kind of guy you think he is," Harry shrugged. "Things have been working well between us. What about you? What have you been doing?"

Ron shrugged. "I'm going on a trip with Charlie to see if I'm interested in studying dragons. If not, I'll just stick with the Ministry. I've been an assistant for my dad for a while now learning what he does and he told me if I'm interested in working in a different section of the Ministry he could recommend me to be an assistant for someone else. I'm not sure at this point."

Harry nodded. "Well that's a step forward at least. I mean, there's no other way to figure out what you want to do."

Ron nodded, glancing down awkwardly. "So, how are Hermione and Lucas?"

"Haven't you talked to her recently?" Harry asked curiously.

"Er, yeah…we owl each other like once a month or so to catch up, since she's at that sorcery school, but I never have the courage to ask her about her personal life. I'm afraid she'll think I'll get all enraged and jealous."

"She and Lucas have been doing great actually," Harry responded as Ron nodded. "They've been going strong and Lucas talks about her quite frequently. Although it's harder for them to get together because both of them are in school, it has been working out between them."

"That's good," Ron answered quietly. "I'm hoping to meet a girl when I go on the trip with Charlie or something. I mean, hearing about both of your relationships makes me feel a bit lonely."

"You'll find someone," Harry encouraged him. "After all, look how long it took me to discover my sexuality and find someone. I thought for me it'd be impossible."

Ron nodded while he shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. So…what exactly are you and Draco planning to do once you graduate?"

The question was unexpected and Harry at first hesitated, feeling both shocked and afraid. He wasn't certain what they were going to do and in fact had been procrastinating to bring it up.

To hide his discomfort, Harry smiled reluctantly and answered: "Not everything's planned out yet. Draco got a Quidditch sponsor already so we're just going to wait and play things by ear," Harry said quickly. "Anyway, I should probably go meet him. Er, you don't have to be afraid to owl me once in a while."

Ron nodded, not noticing Harry's abrupt subject change. "I know. It's just that things haven't been the same since…you know, what I did," he said uncomfortably. "And I know you said you forgive me, but there's still a distance between us."

"It's nothing that time won't fix," Harry smiled sincerely. "I have forgiven you, Ron and though things may never be exactly the same we'll always be friends."

Smiling, Ron nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later then."

Nodding, Harry waved awkwardly and went to go meet Draco. He was thankful Ron hadn't had a chance to ask him if he had a sponsor or to question about their future any deeper. The truth was that he was afraid of what might happen when they graduate. Although he didn't want to think about it, he knew that it was always in the back of his mind. Draco had saved them a seat in the center of the fifth row and glanced up as Harry approached. Smiling down at him, Harry took the seat next to him. Grinning, Harry took a Wizard Snap and ate it as Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"What did the Weasle have to say?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're never going to stop calling him that are you? He didn't say much except about his plans for the future and he asked about Lucas and Hermione. That was it."

Thankfully, Draco didn't notice him look away quickly as he purposefully kept the information about Ron's last question secret. The sound of a horn rang through the air and everyone in the stands began to cheer enthusiastically. The World Cup had begun. The teams began to soar out onto the field and Harry was amazed at how much clearer it was from where they were sitting compared to his fourth year.

"I still say the Fitchburg Finches are going to lose!" Harry exclaimed over the roar of the crowd and Quidditch players.

Draco turned to him and snorted. "Potter, perhaps you've forgotten that they won the U.S. Cup seven times!"

"That was in the past though. And this isn't the U.S. Cup it's the World Cup, which is very different. I think the Woollongong Warriors are going to win!" Harry smiled.

Draco's lips curled widely. "Is that a bet, Potter?"

" 'course," Harry smiled. "How about we bet over an essay?" he suggested, knowing Draco was limited on spending funds. "If you're right I'll do any essay for you that you want me to and if I'm right you'll do an essay for me."

"Deal," Draco held out his hand as his eyes glistened.

Harry shook it, wanting to seal it with a kiss but knowing that would be too awkward in front of so many people. He settled on giving him a sly smile and then the two of them turned their attention back on the game. However, many hours later the bet was completely forgotten as the World Cup turned into wizard boxing match only with bludgers. It was closing in to eleven at night, turning out to be an all-day match (which was short compared to some World Cup matches which could even last up to five days or so), and being since the teams were tied both Seekers had been desperately trying to get the snitch first. Unfortunately, they both collided into each other and the snitch zoomed away and suddenly a fight began like nothing that had ever been seen in the World Cup before.

Eventually, after many referees shot up into the air to stop both teams from smacking bludgers at each other and swooping toward one another like hawks, it was declared a tie and that the re-match would be scheduled for another time. Both teams were disqualified for that match and everyone went to their tents or cabins boasting about what an excellent blood-match it had been. Of course it would no doubt be in all the papers probably for years to come. It would most likely find its way into the history of Quidditch books as an "unheard of and exceptionally violent" match. Harry and Draco went back to the cabin laughing about how most people in the stands had been cheering the fight on. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured but it proved to be very entertaining.

The two of them went to bed tired and content. They slept side-by-side and while Draco went to sleep right away Harry remained awake for a little longer. He stared over at the other boy who was sleeping peacefully and he scooted closer so he was able to run his fingers softly over the blond's bare shoulder. His fingers crawled up the shoulder to the neck to his cheek and finally through the fine, blond hair. Draco made a slight movement in his sleep but otherwise remained asleep.

Harry brushed back the blond's bangs, staring at his face and wondering about Ron's question; the same question that had been haunting him since the end of the previous year. He wasn't sure what would become of their relationship once graduation came, but he was certain he wanted to stay with Draco. He hoped that the blond felt strongly about him enough to want to continue their relationship even outside of school. Closing his eyes, Harry rested his body against the other boy's and fell asleep.

**XXXXX**

A couple months passed and Harry still couldn't believe graduation at the Quidditch Academy was approaching. To Harry's relief, however, he and Draco remained together. Despite the fact that they hadn't had any huge arguments, Harry's worry increased as the sponsor continued to keep in touch with Draco sending him a letter every couple of months requesting his presence. While Draco was slowly earning some money with the sponsor requests, he was also gaining interest. He watched the Quidditch practices and appeared to be interested in the team.

Liam had asked Draco if he planned on sticking with the sponsor or finding one from another team. Draco had replied with a shrug: "I'll most likely go with this team right after graduation. If I decide I can do better then I can find another sponsor, but first you have to make a name for yourself. This team is pretty good and once I get my face out there where others can see my skills then I can decide if I want to stick with them or not."

Harry continued to be supportive to him and still hadn't voiced his fears aloud. The previous year (which had been Lucas' last year) Harry had gone to Lucas and asked his advice. The other boy told him it was best to confront Draco about his feelings to know just how deep Draco cared for him and was willing to go with their relationship. And yet Harry, the famous Boy-Who-Lived-Again who defeated a Dark Lord and escaped death so many times, was too afraid to confront the blond. It was almost as if he convinced himself if he brought it up Draco would tell them that they'd have to go their separate ways and Harry didn't want to hear that; he was dreading that answer and kept his feelings bottled up inside.

He still kept in touch with Hermione and Lucas constantly, both still together, and even occasionally Ron. Harry even began asking Hermione for advice with Draco as well and she told him almost the same thing as Lucas. In the letter responding back she wrote: _Harry, I know you're afraid of the future and it seems like you care for Draco very deeply. I can understand why you're putting it off but this is your last year. You should tell him. It's okay to wait until an opportune moment but don't wait too long._Harry knew he had to do it and though he was dreading it if the question was never brought up then how would they be able to decide their future?

Harry decided that after exams but before the graduation ceremony he would confront Draco and ask him. That was the deadline he gave himself, but it turned out that something unexpected and yet relieving happened. During the beginning of the second semester, Harry got an owl from his own sponsor. The letter read:

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_I am sorry to have waited so long to contact you. However, due to your popularity and fame I wanted to make sure to watch you over the years to see how you developed as a Quidditch player separate from your name. I have watched you in several different matches and am amazed at your skills as a Seeker, but even more at the fact that you learn from the teams that you play against. That is a key skill to being a very successful Quidditch player. I hope you will consider our team for when you graduate. At least come watch us practice and see if you're interested._

_Vauxna Wisteria (sponsor for the Luxembourg National Team)_

So that night as he went to Draco's room after Quidditch practice, Harry took out the letter.

"I got a letter from a sponsor," Harry said quietly, handing it to him.

After slipping on his boxers, Draco took it and read it silently. "You should accept them; they're an excellent team," he responded, handing it back to him.

"Yeah," Harry said, watching as Draco slipped into the bed. Harry put on his own boxers and slipped in next to him. "Er, Draco there's something I've been wondering."

The blond turned his head to stare at him through the dim light coming from the window.

"About graduation…Er, what exactly are we going to do afterward?" he asked, licking his dry lips nervously.

Draco blinked and then turned to stare up at the ceiling. For several minutes he was silent and Harry's heart was beating furiously in his chest. His stomach squirmed uncomfortably waiting for the blond to respond.

"We're both on separate teams," Draco said quietly in the darkness. "Your team is in England and mine goes between Britain and Ireland. We'd both be moving around constantly and training every day much more rigorously than we do here."

Harry felt his throat constrict instantly and he swallowed thickly. "So, you want to…break this off then?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

Draco didn't answer right away. He was still staring up at the ceiling and Harry couldn't read his expression because it was too dark.

"I think the distance would make it too difficult," Draco replied after some hesitation. "Being professional Quidditch players is going to take up most of our time. And even during times when we're not training we'd be flying back and forth a great distance."

Harry felt his whole chest tighten painfully. "Yeah," he managed to get out softly, afraid if he said any more his tone of voice would show his disappointment and hurt.

The two fell into silence and eventually Harry turned over, facing away from Draco, and drifted into an uneasy sleep. After that, Harry constantly wished he hadn't brought it up at all. He knew however that it would've only delayed what had to be said; eventually they would've had to decide where they would go after graduation and if it was possible to stay together. Sure, they could keep in touch by owl, but that seemed too informal; too much like friends. Without being close they'd rarely get to see one another and it would be impossible to have an actual relationship that way. Harry knew that, he realized that, but at the same time he kept hoping there'd be another way.

Ever since that night, the two had been quieter around one another. It was suddenly awkward because they both had appeared to recognize that they had to go separate ways so they were both afraid of getting too close. Harry sometimes wanted desperately to wrap his arms around the blond as they slept but he was afraid of rejection; he was afraid that Draco wanted to continue getting further apart so it would make it easier for when they had to finally split. There were times when he was tempted to ask the blond if he wanted to remain friends so at least they wouldn't have to lose touch completely, but then he realized instantly that it wouldn't work. They couldn't be just friends after becoming intimate; it would be too awkward.

As the semester came to an end and final exams approached, Harry felt anxiety take over. Despite cramming for exams he and Draco had drifted back to separate bedrooms (mainly because Harry had been too afraid to follow him into his room one night since they had been becoming more distant). He had gone to a practice match to watch the Luxembourg National Team and decided to accept them on the spot, even though his inner voice was screaming at him to find a way to stay closer to Draco. The truth was that it was the only sponsor he had gotten (for as he heard it was incredibly hard to get sponsors before or even right after graduating in the first place) and he didn't want to be jobless even for a short while to wait for another to come along. Plus, Draco had said they were an excellent team so Harry accepted much to the captain's delight.

Draco still sat at the same table, thankfully, during meals and Harry overheard him talking to some others about how he accepted his sponsor's offer. Staring down at his plate and wishing Lucas was there, Harry ate mechanically. He could've owled Lucas and vented to him about his hurt and sorrow over having realized their relationship was going to end, but he knew Lucas couldn't do much for him. Sooner or later he'd have to deal with the loss and eventually he'd have to move on.

Harry couldn't even think about moving on though. He had made such a strong connection to the other boy and a part of him wished he had told the blond that he loved him and cared for him so deeply but now it was too late. If he brought it up now Draco would probably think he was just saying that to try and get him to deny his sponsor and tag along with him. And he didn't want Draco to have to rely on him for financial support; he wanted him to have his dream of becoming a famous Quidditch player which was why Harry didn't confront Draco again and he hadn't tried to convince him that they could make it work. Exams ended and graduation came; Harry received his diploma staring down at his name in shimmering letters. After shaking hands with Captain Murdoch, Harry thanked her and went back to her seat as the next name was called. Draco had already gotten his diploma since it went in alphabetical order and Harry briefly glanced at the blond to see him staring at the others receiving theirs.

Once the ceremony was complete everyone was free to leave. As the students began to walk away (the ceremony had taken place outside being since it was early spring), Harry urged his legs to move toward Draco who was rolling his diploma and heading away.

"Hey," Harry said, approaching his side.

Draco glanced at him and nodded as they continued to walk.

"I can't believe we've graduated," Harry said, staring down at his diploma.

"Yeah," Draco agreed quietly.

They came to the end of the school yard and Harry knew it was time to say goodbye.

"Do you have a lot of time to pay off your loan?"

Draco turned to him. "Even working a few months with my sponsor team should pay it off entirely."

"Wow. Er, that's great," Harry said, feeling his stomach clench.

Draco nodded wordlessly, looking just as uncomfortable as Harry felt.

"Well, good luck," Harry said, unable to find anything else to say. "I'm sure I'll be seeing your name in the papers."

Snorting softly, Draco shrugged. "Perhaps."

Harry gave him one last small smile, unable to say the word 'bye'. With that he began to slowly walk away, summoning his broom as he did so. He knew he could fly straight to England and find an apartment in the wizard world somewhere near to the Luxembourg training field. However, for the day he was going to visit with Hermione since she had some time off before her intense exams and graduation ceremony. Just remaining near friends instead of being alone would allow some relief to the aching in the pit of his stomach.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

_**Author's Note: Please don't be depressed by this! The epilogue is coming up next and I promise you I hate sad stories! :-) I will update it hopefully within the next few days, but midterms are approaching hence why I've been studying so much that this chapter was delayed. Anywhoo, I'll update asap!**_

To Reviewers:

**GrimWriter:**Hehe, yeah Draco was being a bit possessive wasn't he? I'm sorry this wasn't as happy but have no fear! I shall update asap!

**Kari-Sama:**Lol! I'm glad it was cute, thanks! I know this was a kind of sad chapter, but it'll get better!

**QuincePaste:**Aw, thanks! Yeah, I'm very sad that it has to end, but I suppose it makes more room for new stories, right? :-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon:**Unfortunately it has to end next chapter. I'm really going to miss this story, but I'm glad I was able to complete this relatively fast. Anywhoo, sorry about the sad chappy, I'll update asap!

**Pixie9:**Aw, thanks! Yeah, I'm sad that this has to end too. Just to make you feel better, I'm a happily-ever-after kind of writer. :-)

**Bunni4U:**Lol! Thanks!

**Hkph:**Aw, thank you! I shall try and update a new story soon after this one. That's why I'm hoping by December I'll have something new posted. Sorry for the sad chapter, but I promise it'll start looking up! Hehe!

**DestinyEntwinements:**Thank you! Yeah, I'm sad it has to end! But it shall end happily! :-)

**:**Thank you! Yes, last chapter is coming up! And it won't be as sad as this one. And everything should come together, that's my goal!

**Mare:**Aw, thank you! Yes, I'll try and get a good Christmas story up so you'll have something to keep you company! Hopefully school won't get in my way! :-)

**FaultyIris:**Aww, thanks a lot! I'm sad too! But yes, this must end eventually. I'm glad you've liked this though. I shall update asap!

**Gbheart:**Lol! Yes, Draco does have a small jealous side, doesn't he? Ah well. Yes, only one chapter to go now…I'm so sad, but it must end. I shall update asap!

**SilverJadlyn:**Aw, thank you! Sorry this took a little more time to update. I shall hopefully update within the next few days!

**Lollylover:**Aww, I'm sorry. This does have to end…next chapter. I'm sad too, but I suppose it makes room for writing a new story. Still, I'll update asap!

**LadyDragonWolfKnight:**I'm sorry you didn't think the chapter was as interesting. Do you have any specific reasons why it wasn't? That would be helpful. I haven't gotten any other complaints, but it is coming to an end so I'll be tying everything together. I shall update asap.

**Cath:**Yep, one more chapter to go. Aw, thanks! I do hope to have a Christmas story out! So hopefully school won't get in my way! :-)

**Smurff:**Well, it turned out to be two more chapters, lol! Aw, thanks! Yeah, I'm sad this has to end too, but it must. And I promise it won't have a sad ending! :-)

**Skittlelove:**Oh yes, epilogues are almost necessary. :-) And trust me, the epilogue will not be sad like this chapter. Aw, thanks! Yeah…I'm sad this has to end, but you're right, a sequel wouldn't have fit for the plot. I'll update asap!

**Tesni:**Thanks so much for your feedback! I'm sorry you didn't like the interactions between Harry and Lucas. I picture Harry more sensitive than probably a lot of people do. :-) But I'm glad you're liking this! I'll update asap!

**GoddessMoonLady:**Lol! Thanks! Yeah, I'm a sucker for romance too! Which is why this won't be ending sadly. :-) I'm very happy you like this enough to put it in your permanent collection, that makes me feel very honored! Hehe! And I shall update asap!

**The Earth Mystic:**Aw, thanks! I'm afraid there won't be a sequel but there will be an epilogue! And it won't be sad! :-)

**Jeje:**Thanks! I'm really happy you liked it!

**Tiger Eye2:**Well, I suppose there was a bit of drama left, lol! But now the epilogue must come! Hehe! Sorry for turning you to goo; I'm sure this chapter had the opposite effect. I shall update asap!

**Feilyn:**Awww, thank you very much! I'm very pleased to hear that you like this! :-) I'm sorry for the sad chappy; it'll get happier! And I'll update asap!

**Rhapsody-child-of-the-sky:**Aw, thank you very much! :-) I'm so happy that you like this! I know it's been a slow progress and that this isn't the happiest chapter but the epilogue should tie everything in together! Wow, you read all the chapters in one go? That's amazing! My eyes wouldn't be able to take that much reading, lol! I shall update asap!

**. . …:**Lol! Thanks! I'm really glad you liked the amusement park idea. I hope your computer starts acting up so you can post your story. Computers can be REALLY evil at times. Hence why I always save everything to a disc almost immediately. You never know when computers will crash. I shall update asap! :-)

**Ghosthly-Shadow:**Lol! O.o Er, a slow and painful death huh? Sounds like getting assigned a bunch of homework all in the same day. :-) I'm glad you liked it! And I shall update asap!

**Branwen777:**Aw, thanks! Yeah, you're right there is not much else to do except an epilogue. But yes, I do plan on having a Christmas story out! :-)

**Kai'sgrl:**Thank you very much! I'm so glad to hear that you found this story realistic and entertaining. That makes me really happy! :-) And yes, I agree that a sequel would just ruin it. Everything will be tied together in the epilogue. And it will be happier, promise!

**Dragenphly:**Aw, thanks! I'm so glad this is still realistic for you! That makes me very relieved. And yes, I love Christmas stories too so I hope that homework won't get in the way so I can post a new story in December! :-)

**Shoozie:**Lol! Thanks I'm glad you liked it! I'm sure you were pleased to note that there was sex in this chapter. Actually, I think I've put quite a bit of sex into this story. :-) I suppose slash is just too addiction! Hehe!


	28. Epilogue

**Captivation**

_**WARNING: Sexual content!**_

**Epilogue:**

Almost a month had passed since graduating from the Quidditch Academy, which was in April. He remembered that day very clearly; his heart still ached at the thought of walking away from Draco without another glance back. He had been afraid to pour out all his feelings to the blond, especially after waiting so long with his emotions bottled up inside. He remembered visiting Hermione that day. She had tried to comfort him, seeing the sullen expression on his face as he told her what happened. Lucas had tried to comfort him as well a week after that when the three of them had gotten together for Butterbeers celebrating Hermione's graduation from the sorcery academy. Although it helped, it didn't make him feel much better.

He had found a small, single apartment in the wizard world in Luxembourg close to the Luxembourg National Team's practice field. Although it was a small apartment and not very glorious in its architecture it was enough to satisfy him. In fact, it represented his gloomy mood. The first time he went to practice with his new team he was welcomed warmly by the captain, Amycus Dearborn. After the captain introduced himself, Harry remembered the surname from the old Order of the Phoenix photo in which his parents were in. If he remembered correctly the man Caradoc Dearborn had been standing next to his father in the picture and in fact he had disappeared approximately six months after the photo was taken but his body was never found. Harry wondered if the captain was at all related to the man who had most likely met his doom at the hands of Voldemort's Death Eaters back during the first initiation of the Order. Those thoughts quickly vanished as he began practicing daily with the team.

For several hours every day they'd go through many different strategies and plays. Sometimes the captain would just release them on their own and watch them as they performed their own strategies together without any direction. After the first month of practice, the captain gathered them around and had told them:

"We have a month until our first professional match of this year. In order to be qualified for the European Quidditch Championships we have to win ten matches against other professional teams. And then once in the European Quidditch Championships our goal will be to try and reach places one to three. Those three winning teams will move on to the World Cup. We have a lot of training to do in such little time so I want to see good work out there!"

Harry fortunately fit right in with the team and during practices he was too distracted to think about Draco. It was when he got back to his small apartment that the thoughts returned. Sometimes he'd have dreams about their time together and when he woke up he was even more anxious than the previous day. So many times he wanted to try and send an owl to Draco just to see how he was doing. He couldn't bear the thought that he'd most likely never see him again. Their first match was against a German team. They managed a pretty good game and beat them in a fair amount of time. Harry had caught the snitch with ease when it had been an appropriate time to catch it so they had their first victory.

Now the second month was ending and their second match would take place. That day, despite trying to keep his mind away Draco and how angry he was at himself for not saying anything to him, Harry went to practice and the captain gathered them around.

"Okay our next match is in a couple days. I feel that we're ready but it's best to be certain," he said, glancing into all their faces. "We'll be playing the British and Irish Quidditch League."

Harry's heart just about stopped in his chest when the words fell out of the captain's mouth. That was Draco's team. So they would be playing them in the next match, which meant…he'd see Draco. The rest of the captain's words were drowned out by the hammering of his heart. He tried to picture Draco's reaction from seeing him but it didn't register; he didn't know what would happen when he saw the blond again, but at the same time he desperately wanted to see him even if it was brief.

Over the next couple of days while preparing for the match, Harry often wondered if Draco missed him at all. Did he think about him? Had he already moved on? These thoughts plagued him so much that the night before the match he could barely get to sleep. Thankfully he had an energy potion left over so that he would be in well enough shape for the match. He flew to the field, more anxious than ever and joined his team. They did some drills and only a few minutes later the British and Irish League came swooping down. Harry tried not to glance up and search for the familiar head of blond hair, but it was inevitable. He caught of glimpse of the blond following behind a couple of his teammates and Harry forced his gaze away. It was so awkward and yet Harry wanted Draco to notice him.

The match began and Harry took off high into the sky. The Seeker was normally above all the other players in the first place; this way Harry could watch Draco speeding past his own teammates while signaling to the other Chaser to pass to him. Harry didn't think things could get much worse until he realized almost an hour into the game that Draco's team was brutal. Several of his teammates had almost been flung off their brooms by the other players or by bludgers. And a little while later when the score was 70-50 (with Draco's team in the lead) one of the opponent Beaters rammed a bludger toward one of their Chasers. Unfortunately, the Chaser had been so intent on making the goal he hadn't seen it coming. The bludger knocked right into his broom handle, breaking his broom even as it sent him flying. Harry's eyes widened with horror as the Chaser was thrown right into one of the goal posts, his head coming into contact with it. The captain managed to shout a levitating charm so that he wouldn't hit the ground hard from fifty feet high.

Medi-Wizards ran toward him and levitated him onto a stretcher and proceeded off the field. Harry figured they were probably bringing him to the nearest medical facility. The captain called a time-out and as Harry joined the rest of his teammates he saw the concern in the captain's eyes.

"All right. With a Chaser down that means Evelyn is going to be a target," he said, glancing at their remaining Chaser. "I'm going to need you Beaters to protect her out there. And Harry, find the snitch as fast as you can. Everyone watch yourselves; if we lose even one more player we'll be disqualified."

Nodding while feeling very uncertain, Harry then rose back into the air as the time-out ended. Glancing around, Harry caught sight of Draco looking in his direction. The blond, however, promptly looked away and he felt his stomach quiver uneasily. The game continued and Harry searched the entire field for the snitch. It seemed to be no where in sight. As he kept his eyes opened for it, he glanced down to see that Evelyn was being well-guarded by the Beaters who were keeping their eyes open for any bludgers heading her way. They were nearby her on different angles watching intently. What they didn't count on, though, was that the opponent Beaters knew that they would protect her and directed their attack toward a different target.

Harry had thought he had seen a glimpse of the snitch when he heard someone shout. It was then he turned his head to see a bludger heading straight for him. Harry moved fast but hadn't anticipated another bludger coming from behind. It hit his shoulder from behind and Harry winced as he let out a gasp. His shoulder was dislocated and he almost lost balance off his broom. Thankfully, the bludgers didn't do much damage. He carefully popped his shoulder back into place trying to ignore the searing pain that shot up his arm. The captain was looking at him but Harry just waved his good arm to signal he could continue. He wasn't about to have them disqualified.

Seconds later as the opponent team had the Quaffle and was heading toward their goal, Harry's eyes narrowed when they spotted a glint of gold. Pretending to loop around the field, Harry then suddenly dove toward it. The opponent Seeker wasn't nearly as close and tried to catch up with him. Harry was getting close to it, his hand was reaching out to it and then he heard a familiar whizzing sound. Glancing to his left he saw a bludger heading his way but he knew that if he moved out of the way he would miss the snitch which would probably fly away. So Harry took the risk. He snatched the snitch just as the bludger rammed into his arm, breaking it painfully. The force knocked him from his broom and to his fortune he was only about fifteen feet off the ground. However, he still fell onto his back and the wind was knocked out of him. To his relief, with his good arm, Harry could feel the snitch struggling between his fingers to break free.

As his teammates rushed over to see if he was alright the referee did as well. Seeing the snitch in his hand, the referee blew his whistle and announced Harry's team as the victor. He was helped into a sitting position and a Medi-Wizard came over to inspect his arm.

"It's not too bad," he said, summoning a sling for it. "A couple days rest should do. Here, drink this."

Harry drank the potion, figuring it was for the pain. As the Medi-Wizard was helping him stand, Harry glanced to the side to see his teammates and Draco's team shaking in a line as they passed by one another. He had the urge to run over there to join them so he would have a chance to see Draco face-to-face but the Medi-Wizard was pulling him aside. As he was being pulled aside, Harry turned to see Draco walking away from his team as the others finished shaking hands. The Medi-Wizard continued to pull him away until he was safely inside the building. Glancing out a window, Harry saw some figures taking off to the sky and knew that Draco's team was leaving. And he hadn't even gotten to speak with him at all.

He went back home feeling worse than he had before. The next day he went to practice per usual, despite his sore arm which was still healing. The potion had helped a lot but now he just needed a distraction. When he got there he saw some of his teammates sitting down talking quietly.

"Hey Harry, how's the arm?" Elina asked.

He shrugged. "It's fine. What's going on?"

"Well, it seems that Eli isn't in such good shape," another teammate answered, referring to their other Chaser who had gotten hit with a bludger. "He needs to stay in the hospital for at least a month due to a serious concussion and no one knows if he'll be able to play as good even after that time."

"So what's going to happen?" Harry asked curiously.

"I don't know. I'm guessing the captain will have to find someone else."

"Oh look! The captain!" Elina exclaimed, standing up.

Harry turned to see their captain coming toward them. He didn't have a worried expression at all so perhaps everything was alright.

"Harry, it's nice to see you here," Amycus smiled at him. "Glad to see that a little bludger accident doesn't keep you away."

Harry nodded, forcing a smile in return.

"Captain, what are we going to do about Eli?" one of the Beaters asked.

"Oh, don't worry, I've found someone to replace him. He should be here in a minute," Captain Dearborn said, smiling. "Anyway, Harry why don't you sit out today and just watch since your arm is still in the sling. I'm sure by tomorrow you'll be able to play but we wouldn't want to strain anything otherwise it could make it worse."

Harry nodded and proceeded to go sit down in the front row of the stands to watch. Harry adjusted the sling and sat watching the team carelessly. He honestly wasn't even paying attention. His mind was focused on Draco and how he would most likely never see him again. Harry was angry with himself. He had had a chance beforehand to tell Draco how he felt strongly about him but he didn't; he was too afraid. And he had a chance to run up to Draco after the game the previous day, but he didn't; he had let the Medi-Wizard pull him away and now his chances had run out. He bit his lip hard to try and distract himself from the painful thoughts, but his stomach was squirming tensely and his chest had tightened painfully.

Harry had never before had a deep and serious relationship before but being with Draco had not only opened him to new and emotional experiences but he had felt happy. It was a different kind of happiness than just being free of the war or being with friends; this happiness was the combination of that plus the strong sensations that went with caring for someone more than anyone else. But now...Harry knew; Harry knew what it felt like to want to be with someone romantically; he knew now what he had been missing over the years while growing up around death, betrayal and loneliness. And he had let it slip away; he hadn't even fought for it and he wasn't the kind of person not to fight. He could only stare at the ground as he tried to figure out why he had been so afraid. Perhaps it was because he hadn't had much happiness in his life that when he found something that made him happy he automatically assumed it was temporary. And being with Draco, despite their arguments and slowly progressing relationship, had made him feel fulfilled. From what Hermione said, it was hard to find true love even once unless one was patient, careful and had an open mind. So now he was afraid that he'd never feel the same way about someone like he had for Draco.

"I see you're still alive, Potter."

Harry's head jerked up so fast and at first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He thought perhaps because Draco had been on his mind constantly that he was imagining him standing before him. But Draco was there no more than five feet from him with his arms crossed over his chest. It seemed that he had had his hair cut recently for his bangs were shorter than he remembered, but they still ghosted on either side of his face remaining longer than his hair in the back. It framed his face nicely, bringing out his elegant cheek-bones and beautiful silver-blue eyes.

"Draco?" Harry murmured, still in shock. He blinked several times just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

The blond's eyes trailed down to Harry's injured arm which was less sore but still in the sling. "It's just like you to try and do something heroic like that and nearly get yourself killed. You still crave that attention just like back in Hogwarts."

Harry opened his mouth but he didn't get a chance to reply. The captain jogged over to them grinning as the team did laps in the air to warm-up.

"There you are! I'm sorry, what's your name again?" Captain Dearborn asked, holding out his hand.

"Draco Merlin," he answered, shaking his hand firmly.

"It's a pleasure. I see you both know each other," he smiled, glancing at Harry. "Harry is definitely the most daring one here! I bet you can't wait till you start playing again, right?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded, still trying to piece everything together. His stomach was fluttering and he was looking back and forth between them.

"Alright, well the team is just doing warm-ups now so get dressed in your uniform and join us for practice!" Amycus exclaimed brightly, holding out a uniform toward Draco. "Welcome to the team!"

The captain smiled at them both and blew his whistle as he headed toward the area where the team was practicing. Harry's eyes widened as he stared at Draco, who had glanced behind him to watch the captain walk away.

"You're on the team?" Harry blurted out, feeling his breath come in a short gasp.

Draco turned back to him and shrugged his shoulders. "This team seems more likely to get to the championships than the team I was on. And I want to be recognized."

Harry nodded, feeling his throat constrict with anxiety. What should he say? He had his chance now and he didn't want to give it up.

Draco stared at him for a long moment and then snorted. "Well Potter, I suppose we'll have to be on the same team again," he said, turning to walk away.

"Draco, wait!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up from his seat.

The blond slowly turned back around and tentatively Harry took several steps forward. They were only a mere foot apart now and Harry thought quickly for something to say. Knowing that this could be his last chance, Harry decided that being completely honest, no matter how ridiculous he sounded, was the best option.

"I'm sorry," Harry said softly, staring directly into his eyes.

"For what Potter?" Draco asked casually, staring back with a blank expression. It wasn't cold or harsh but at the same time Harry couldn't tell what the blond was thinking. Whether he seemed surprised that they had a match against one another or whether the blond was ecstatic to see him…Harry couldn't discern if there was any of that. Draco was calm and quiet; completely unreadable.

Swallowing, Harry kept eye contact. "I should've told you sooner…much sooner. I wanted to…to tell you how I felt. But I was…afraid," Harry said quietly after a hesitation. "I know it seems silly to be afraid of expressing emotions after being in a war, but I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. I thought I had plenty of time and I kept putting it off…but then senior year came and I finally got a sponsor and…well, that night you seemed so quiet and distant and by the tone of your voice, I don't know…," he trailed off as Draco stared at him silently; there was a glint of something but Harry didn't notice it.

"Even though I was afraid I should've told you…," Harry licked his lips, "how strongly I felt about you. But I thought if I said anything like that it might be too much and I didn't want you to pull away. So…I'm sorry."

Draco glanced away briefly, still with an unreadable expression, and Harry felt his stomach quiver. Perhaps it was too late. At least he had made an attempt.

"Draco! Let's go!" the captain's voice rang out.

Draco swiveled his head around and nodded toward him and turned back to Harry but he remained silent. Taking his silence as a sign that it was definitely too late, Harry gestured to the field.

"You should probably get to practice. He doesn't like to have really long practices in one day so he likes to use the time wisely," Harry said.

Then, Harry turned around facing away from him and began making his way back to the stands.

"Potter."

Stopping a few feet from the stands, Harry turned a bit surprised. Draco crossed his arms casually across his chest, a habit that he did quite often.

"Where do you live?"

Harry blinked a couple times. "Er, I live just ten minutes from here by broom in the Pararouge Apartments."

Snorting, Draco shook his head. "And yet you get paid a fair amount for being on this team, plus any other money you had in your vault, but still you choose pathetic living quarters. Really, Potter. Look, I just moved into one of the Crystalline apartment complexes. It's very spacious and more up to my standards than the one I had with the other team but it's ridiculously expensive. I was thinking about finding someone else to live with me so that way the cost is cut down."

"You're...you want me to live with you?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I'm used to your messy habits and sometimes annoying personality. Plus it might take too long to try and find someone else. And it'd be far more worth it than the dump you're living in."

Feeling his chest loosen a bit, Harry nodded. "Alright. Is it far away?"

"Not that much farther," Draco said, unfolding his arms. "The apartment is 303. Meet me there tomorrow morning at ten."

Nodding wordlessly, Harry watched as Draco waved his wand to put on his uniform and went to join the team. He couldn't believe that Draco asked him to move in with him. So now not only were they on the same team, but they would be living together as well. Harry didn't want to get his hopes up, since he knew he had obviously waited too long to reveal his feelings (which he didn't even really do except to say he felt strongly about Draco), but at least this was another opportunity. Perhaps this meant Draco at least wanted to be friends.

After practice, Harry went back to his apartment and began to pack up all his things. He sent an Owl to the apartment manager to let them know his apartment would be empty. He was grateful it hadn't required him to sign a lease, which meant he could leave any time. The apartment complex was fairly cheap so they never really had trouble getting people. Once all his belongings were packed, Harry slipped into bed and stared up at the ceiling for several long minutes. He wasn't sure if Draco was still interested in having a relationship, but at least they hadn't been separated for good.

When morning came, Harry put on his favorite tight, velvet-black plants and a soft, crimson long-sleeved shirt. And then he headed in the direction of Draco's apartment complex. It wasn't difficult to find, since he vaguely knew the area it resided in, and he was surprised to see although they were apartment complexes they weren't attached to the other apartments. This was a fancier apartment complex, as Draco had hinted to him, and each apartment was its own building. It wasn't quite as big as a normal house, but it was a fairly large apartment building. Harry easily found Draco's apartment number and he got off his broom and trudged to the door. Licking his lips nervously, Harry rapped lightly on it. Moments later the door opened and Draco appeared dressed in his tight dark jeans and silky, silver shirt which showed part of his chest.

Harry walked into the apartment slowly and the door closed on its own. Draco led him through the kitchen and gestured to it.

"This is the kitchen. The living room is in there," Draco pointed to the room connected to it. "A small study room is over there," he gestured to the opposite direction of the living room; a door on the other side of the kitchen. Upstairs there's a master bedroom and a large bathroom connected to it. You can look around if you want."

Harry nodded, swallowing thickly as he went into all the rooms Draco had mentioned. The living room was a decent sized room with a large plush couch and two floating chairs, plus a small fireplace. As he ascended the stairs he noticed that there was only one bedroom, as Draco had mentioned. It had a huge king-sized bed and the bathroom connected to it had a small Jacuzzi tub in it. Harry came back downstairs and after glancing at the small study room he joined Draco back in the kitchen. The blond had charmed a tea-pot to make some tea and currently it was floating over to him.

"Do you want the upstairs?" Draco asked after a minute.

Harry shook his head. "No, I'll take the couch. This was your place first."

Nodding, Draco stirred his tea. "Alright. Well, since it's the weekend I guess we won't have to worry about practice for a couple of days."

"Yeah, that's a relief," Harry said.

Standing up as he took his cup of tea, Draco brushed back his bangs from his face. "You can unpack. There should be an extra bureau in the study room that you can levitate to the living room. It's not very big but it should do."

"Okay, thanks," Harry replied quietly.

Draco moved his head silently in response and then drank the rest of his tea before summoning his broom. Harry wanted to ask him where he was going, but he didn't want to appear nosey or rude so he watched silently as Draco left through the door and flew away. Almost instantly Harry began to wonder if perhaps Draco had a new love interest, or even some sort of relationship, with someone else. Had he found a new boyfriend? Perhaps even a girlfriend? Or even just someone, whether male or female, to provide sexual release? Was it really over between them for good?

Sighing as his shoulders slumped, feeling disappointed again and angry at himself, Harry levitated the bureau into the living room. Then he un-shrunk his trunk and began unpacking his clothes and belongings. He took his time and even flew out and got himself some lunch and brought it back. Then he proceeded to study some of the techniques on a parchment that Captain Dearborn had made for them. Several hours later, as it was approaching six in the evening, Harry figured Draco might not come home till late or perhaps not until the next day. So Harry undressed until he was clad in his boxers and looked in the cupboards to find something for dinner. Draco had some groceries but not very many; he had milk, cereal, pasta, rice, some chocolate frogs and wizard snaps, plus tea, bread, eggs and a few others. So he had enough to make something.

Harry surprisingly remembered a recipe Aunt Petunia had forced him to make when he was only nine years old. It was when Aunt Marge was coming over to visit during the fall and he had been forced to prepare an entire meal for eight and then was only allowed to eat the left-over scraps. Shaking his head, Harry let the memory passed. He no longer felt angry about the way he was treated because he was never going to see the Dursleys again. They hadn't gotten a last word in and in fact right before Harry moved in with the Weasleys (the day after the war had ended) Harry had told them what despicable people they were, with his wand pointed at them, and how he had saved an entire Wizard World was famous and was rich with the wizard fortune his parents had left him. And Harry had told them that he was going to have a wonderful life in the wizard world and never see them again. Uncle Vernon had about turned purple with rage, but he was too afraid to yell at him. And Dudley had his mouth dropped open and asked about the wizard fortune, but Harry didn't answer. He had left, having the last word, and had gone to the wizard world.

Of course when he had told them he was going to have a wonderful life he had only said that to make them see that no matter how much he had suffered with them he was going to live "happily-ever-after" while they struggled because Vernon had lost his job and was trying to find another one (and Aunt Petunia was too sick to work) not to mention they had sold many of Dudley's toys for enough money for that month's bill. But Harry hadn't actually believed he was going to find true happiness until Hermione suggested the Quidditch Academy. And even while he was having a good time there he hadn't ever imagined finding a relationship (least of all with Draco) that would make him feel…complete. With Draco it didn't matter what hardships in life came, Harry had been happy just being with him even despite their arguments. And any hardships and arguments that did come hadn't measured up to what he had suffered in the past anyway, but with Draco there it made it even more tolerable.

Scrambling some eggs, Harry waved his wand to get the rice cooking in the other frying pan on the stove as he made the rice dish he remembered. He made extra in case Draco wanted some. He wasn't sure if the blond was coming home at all that night, since it was the weekend, but in case he was…

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door. Draco walked into the kitchen and saw him standing at the stove, having charmed the frying pan to cook the rice while he scrambled eggs, clad in only his tight, silky, forest-green boxers. Staring at Draco, Harry felt his heart nearly jump as he saw that the blond's hair was wet, probably from rain (that he hadn't noticed or heard because he had been distracted with cooking) and it was plastered to his forehead. Small droplets cascaded down his cheeks and from off his eyelashes and Harry was mesmerized for a moment.

"Er…I'm making some dinner if you want some," Harry said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Draco slowly took off his jacket and nodded. "Alright."

The blond waved a wand over himself to dry his clothes and hair and Harry turned back to the stove. Once Harry was done he summoned two plates and walked over to the small table where Draco was seated. The blond glanced up at him and as Harry filled both plates he noticed Draco's eyes trailing over his body. Feeling heat rise to his face, Harry pretended like he didn't notice. He knew he had become even more toned because of the intense Quidditch practices all through the week (minus the weekend) and because he had begun practicing with the team in the summer his skin was still a crisp golden-brown. As Harry sat down to eat with him he stole glances toward him. The blond was just as attractive as he remembered him with his long bangs that framed his face and fell in front of his eyes giving him a sexy model-like appearance, and with his finely toned muscles and smooth, fair skin. Although both of them were old enough now that they stopped growing, Draco still remained an inch or so taller than he was (Harry had reached 5'10'' thankful he was a good, average height and Draco was about 5'11½'').

They ate in silence, for the most part, but Harry could feel Draco's eyes on him occasionally. Finally, after at least five minutes of silence Harry decided to try and start up a friendly conversation with him.

"Do you like the team so far?" Harry asked.

Draco glanced up and moved his bangs back as he nodded casually. "Yeah, the team I was on is most likely never going to make it to the championships. They have in the past when they had a different captain but not anymore unless they replace him. The captain was a complete asshole, drilling us for hours doing the same techniques over and over again without actually forming coherent strategies! And since your Chaser was knocked down I decided to just quit that team and join yours. I saw an opportunity and I was getting sick of the other captain ranting at me so I approached your captain at the end of the game."

"Oh, er…I'm glad it worked out then," Harry said awkwardly.

Draco nodded in agreement and they elapsed into silence once more as they finished their meal. Once Harry was done he got up with his plate and Draco followed seconds after.

"Was dinner alright?" Harry asked him as they both grabbed their cups as well.

"Yeah, it was good," Draco said shifting uncomfortably. "I didn't actually think you could cook."

Harry smiled softly and shrugged. "I suppose that's the one good thing that came out of growing up with the Dursleys."

The two of them levitated their dishes into the sink and Harry then began backing toward the living room.

"Well, er…I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Harry said, not knowing what else to say.

"Potter?"

Harry turned, surprised. "Yeah?"

The blond pursed his lips a bit and crossed his arms almost nervously. Then he came a bit closer. The two of them were still in the kitchen and Harry felt his throat constrict instinctively but he wasn't sure why.

Draco hesitated for a moment as he leaned his hip up against the table. "You said the other day, at practice, that you were sorry for not telling me that you felt strongly about me."

Harry felt his cheeks heat up as he glanced downward for a minute and nodded. "Er, yeah. I…"

"What did you mean?" Draco asked quietly.

Inhaling deeply, Harry took a few steps forward until he was only a couple of feet away. "It's…hard to explain in words, but even a year ago I felt something between us. I mean, something different from when we first started…going out," he said quietly, licking his lips nervously. "You know, I just…I know this might sound lame, but I felt…happy for once. Even despite the arguments we had or the stress of school nothing seemed to be bad compared to what I had gone through."

Draco stared at him silently with unblinking eyes as he continued. "I really never had much happiness in my life, till I came to the school and until…you know, we became friends. That's why I had so much trouble learning the Patronus Charm because it was difficult to find a truly happy memory that would work. And the brief happy encounters I did have didn't seem to be enough. Somehow I managed to perform the charm, but I still had only two or three small memories that were vaguely happy. And…I don't know, I just felt like…I guess, you understood me better than anyone," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders in embarrassment as he tried to explain how he felt.

Draco was staring down at the table and he snorted softly. "I'll bet Granger and Weasley wouldn't be happy to hear that."

"Yeah," Harry shrugged with a half-smile. "I'm not saying they're not good friends, but at the same time it was really hard for them to understand everything I went through even though I explained it to them. It's because they didn't go through similar hard circumstances. The way you grew up was similar to how I grew up and we both had met Voldemort face-to-face so…that's probably why. They did help me as best as they could though."

Nodding wordlessly, Draco turned away again and stared at nothing in particular. They were both lost in their own thoughts and then Harry began turning around to head toward the living room.

"Potter," Draco said, stopping him in his tracks.

Harry turned back around to look at him and he saw that Draco was still looking away with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Look, Potter, if you want we could…you know, go out again," Draco said casually, his tone sounding a bit uncertain.

Harry took a couple steps forward, feeling his heart skip a few beats. "You…want to go out again?"

Draco turned to him and shrugged casually, looking a bit uncomfortable. "We don't have to, Potter. If you have someone else—"

"I don't," Harry interrupted before he could finish. "But, are you doing this because you feel obligated since we're living in the same apartment or do you really want to be together again? You can be honest with me, Draco."

The blond was silent and he looked away again. Harry approached even closer till he was standing less than a foot away.

"I don't mind, Potter," Draco said hesitantly.

"You don't mind what?" Harry asked, having a vague idea of what Draco meant but he wanted to hear it. His heart was pounding so loudly with excitement in his chest but he tried not to show it.

The blond raised his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind going out."

"So it's not that you feel obligated?"

Draco snorted in annoyance. "No Potter. I do not feel an obligation toward yo—"

Harry cut him off by grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at him. Instantly, he crushed his lips against the other boy's. Draco lips didn't respond for a brief second, showing his surprise at the unexpected move, but soon his lips were moving in rhythm with Harry's. As Harry pushed his body closer, the blond uncrossed his arms from his chest. Harry put a hand on the back of Draco's neck, trying to force their lips even closer. And as his fingers trailed up into Draco's hair he felt the blond's arms around his waist. Harry pushed even closer and parted his lips through the kiss. Draco's hot, wet tongue slipped inside his mouth and the two let out soft groans.

Trailing his fingers down his back, Harry lifted Draco's shirt wanting to feel more skin. Draco's fingers went to his hips and he yanked Harry's boxers down with ease. The two of them stumbled backward a bit until Harry felt the table on his back. Draco pulled out his wand and waved them at his own clothes so they would disappear. Then suddenly their tongues were sparring and their fingers were ghosting over each other's skin, not having felt each other's touch in a while. Harry's hand tangled back through Draco's hair pushing their naked bodies even closer as he raised a leg. Their kisses and touches were needy and passionate. Without warning, Draco lifted him up onto the table and Harry spread his legs, groaning as he felt the blond climb atop him. As Harry wrapped his legs tightly around Draoc, the blond lifted him up and carried him over to the couch. The second that Harry felt his back on the arm rest he leaned back, causing them both to fall over.

Breaking apart as they gasped for air, Harry pushed Draco even farther on top of him as he tightened his legs around the blond's waist. Draco grabbed the back of both of his thighs and began lifting his hips. Harry released a loud groan. Draco began entering him right away although he made sure not to just thrust in. Even so, the fact that they weren't taking it as slow as they used to was so much more intense. Once Draco was fully in, he lifted Harry legs up, even as they tightened around Draco's waist, and began thrusting his hips forward. Harry's head tilted back as he gasped loudly in pleasure. It was desperate and rough, but passionate and as Draco thrust inside of him, Harry let out a shout of pleasure as he dragged his nails down Draco's back.

Draco moved his hips pumping his erection in and out as Harry gripped his back in pleasure. Then Harry's hands slid down and gripped Draco's hips, feeling as the blond entered him and then came back out. Draco's lips were by his ear and he was grunting and groaning, sometimes letting out gasping pants as his erection was squeezed when Harry tensed. Their chests were rubbing and Harry's erection was caught between them, but it had never felt so good. Harry had missed this; he missed Draco being inside of him and as the blond continued to thrust Harry clashed their mouths together so their tongues could once again explore each other's mouths.

Both of them let out loud grunts of pleasure and Harry let one of his arms drop onto the couch as his hips arched up with each thrust. His other hand remained tangled in Draco's hair as the blond thrust inside of him. This time, Draco remained a few inches above him as he kept his hips angled, thrusting in constantly. Harry groaned loudly, panting and he gazed up into Draco's face. The blond's whole body was covered in perspiration. His bangs were sticking to his forehead and his eyes were glazed over, but they were bright and full of emotion. There was desire and passion but also…Harry could see something else. If he had been in the state of mind to use his Legilmency he would've tried to read the emotion but he was lost in a euphoric trance as the blond continued to push in roughly.

Their voices became a bit louder and Harry let out a soft hiss, followed by a groan as he climaxed between them. For the first time he whispered Draco's name as he orgasmed. Draco pushed in deeper inside of him and continued to thrust a few more times before he stilled and Harry felt his erection quiver inside of him before he orgasmed. Then Draco was beginning to pull out of him, but Harry stopped him.

He wrapped his legs even tighter around the blond's waist and began rolling his hips up and down. Still out-of-breath, Harry watched as Draco's eyes closed and his head tilted back; a groan escaped his lips and at the same time Harry felt Draco's erection begin to swell inside of him. He moaned loudly and wrapped both arms around Draco's back, bringing the blond close. Slowly, Draco began to move again and soon as he was hard and throbbing he began thrusting in and out once more. Harry cried out as Draco grabbed the arm of the cough and pushed in deeper while keeping the fast pace.

Once they both reached climax again they lay exhausted on the couch. Harry had had to use his wand to expand the couch to fit the both of them comfortably and as they lay sweating and panting Harry felt more relaxed and content than he ever had in his life.

"That was intense," Harry said quietly after some moments of silence.

Draco snorted and moved his sweaty bangs out of his face. Harry turned his head to gaze at him and then moved his body so they were up against one another firmly. Draco glanced at him and Harry raised a hand to push some strands of blond hair from his forehead.

"I was such an idiot," Harry said softly. "I should've told you how I felt, but that night you just sounded like you wanted to end it. So I thought maybe it would be for the best and I didn't say anything. I should have."

Draco stared at him with his bright, silver-blue eyes. "It doesn't matter now, Potter."

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling softly. "So, are we exclusive then?"

Draco rolled his eyes a bit. "I thought having sex twice in a row would have made that obvious," he drawled sarcastically.

Harry let out a soft laugh and put an arm across Draco's chest. The blond stared at him, their faces inches apart, and Harry saw compassion in his eyes.

"I'm glad you kept your earring," Harry smiled, moving his lips toward the blond's ear as he pressed a kiss beneath the lobe.

He felt Draco shrug his shoulders. "I guess I've grown attached to it."

Smiling, Harry then moved to press his lips to the blond's cheek. "Good."

They fell into a comfortable silence.

"So, are you looking forward to your birthday? It's in a couple months."

Draco shrugged. "I guess."

"We could curl up in front of the fireplace together, maybe order some special food and eat it together."

"Potter, you sound like an extreme romantic," Draco drawled in amusement, raising an eyebrow.

"I can be mushy sometimes, can't I?" Harry said, smiling.

Snorting softly, Draco stared up at the ceiling. "Fine, Potter."

Grinning widely, Harry pressed a kiss to his cheek again before finding his lips. Draco's eyes shone with amusement as he kissed back. Their tongues intertwined once more before the two of them soon fell into sleep, having been exhausted from the day's activities. As Harry closed his eyes, he was at ease knowing they were back together hopefully for good.

**XXXXXX**

_One month later…_

Stretching, Harry opened his eyes to the morning sun which shone through the bedroom window. Glancing to his left, he saw that Draco was still asleep. Smiling, he pressed his lips to the blond's neck and was rewarded with a soft sigh as Draco shifted in his sleep. Getting up, Harry was grateful that it was the weekend. He went into the large bathroom connected to the master bedroom and slipped into the large shower.

As he washed his hair he began thinking about random things, mostly Christmas which wasn't for another few months. It had come out to everyone, including the Weasleys that Draco was really his boyfriend. Although Draco refused to go over to the Weasleys' house again, Harry was quite sure he was relieved that they had accepted that they were dating. Ginny had finally gotten over her obsession over him and was in much brighter spirits due to her new boyfriend with whom she was in love with.

He heard a sound like a door being opened and as he rinsed soap off his face he heard the shower curtain rustle. Without even having time to turn all the way around, he felt warm hands on his waist. Harry's back was pushed up against a warm body and he felt the hard arousal. Inwardly smiling, he figured Draco must've woken up with a morning erection. They had had sex a couple times in the shower after just waking up. This time, however, Draco pushed him gently up against the shower wall with Harry's back still facing him. They had never had sex without facing one another before. Harry felt the erection penetrate his entrance and he groaned breathlessly.

"Draco…," he hissed as the blond pushed deep inside him.

Moving his hips in a slow rhythm, Draco pressed his body completely up against his and kept his hands on Harry's waist as he thrust languidly in and out. The pace was slow, deep and still arousing; the two groaned and panted as their excitement heightened. Harry moved his hips in rhythm and he could feel Draco's breath on the back of his neck. The blond moved his head closer and pressed his lips to the back of his neck, trailing down to his shoulder and Harry moved his hands to gently place over the ones on his hips. He rolled his hips backward as Draco pushed inside.

"Harry," Draco groaned deeply.

Harry opened his eyes, staring at the shower wall as he heard Draco moan his name. It was the first time he had ever moaned his name. They had been together since technically when they started dating in November until when they graduated from the Quidditch Academy in April. That was 6 months. And while they had split for a month they were back together. It was the end of May. He couldn't believe they had lasted half a year together without killing one another. Smiling as Draco released his orgasm inside of him, Harry felt his own erection, which had been pushed up against the shower wall, twitch before he released his orgasm. The water rinsed their passion down the drain and Harry turned once Draco had slipped out of him to wrap his arms around the blond.

"Morning," Harry smiled, pressing their lips together.

Draco, still looking a bit sleepy, nodded. "Are we meeting Hermione and Lucas today?"

"Yeah, in about a half-hour. They're on their way here by wizard car so it shouldn't take too long."

Draco snorted. "When did Lucas buy a car?"

"Just a week ago. He's had plenty of money to do so earlier but didn't because Hermione was doing projects for the Order of Merlin. Although…I'm not sure why he decided to get one now," Harry shrugged.

He knew Hermione had a lot of work at the Order of Merlin society. It was an organization much like the Ministry and Order of the Phoenix combined only it required those specialized in sorcery. She went on trips to different countries at times to help get riots under control or help with an infestation of creatures that required much magic to repel. She was happy with her jobs and said eventually she'd like to be in charge of the Order of Merlin, which had its own large, majestic building in the city of Chester located in Cheshire, England. Sorcery was having a come-back and with its advanced teaching there was a good chance over the next century wizards and witches would evolve and probably be able to use even more magic than before.

"What about Weasley? Is he still coming?"

"Yeah, a little bit later. He said he's bringing someone too," Harry smiled.

Draco raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. The two of them finished washing and after drying off they waved their wands to have clothes appear. Only twenty minutes later a knock came at the door and Harry opened it.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

Stumbling a bit, Harry smiled and hugged her in return. Lucas stepped in behind her, grinning widely. Hermione then moved to Draco as Harry embraced Lucas. Then, as a tea-pot was magically preparing itself, they all sat down at the table. Lucas sat next to Hermione and across from Draco while Harry sat next to Draco.

"We heard the good news!" Hermione exclaimed brightly. "About how your team might make it to the semi-final World Championships!"

"We only need to defeat one more team," Harry smiled, nodding.

"Which won't be too hard," Draco drawled. "It's a Russian team and they're not so good. Saving them for last just makes it easier."

"That's great news!" Lucas said, smiling at them. His deep blue eyes were glimmering happily, but Harry had a sense that it was also for a different reason.

"Well, we have some news of our own," Hermione said as her cheeks turned a bit pink.

Slowly, she moved her hand forward and Harry saw a glimmering ring on her finger. His mouth dropped open and immediately he went over to hug her again.

"You two are engaged? I can't believe it! Congratulations!"

Draco gave them both a smile and then raised both eyebrows. "When did this happen?"

"Just a couple nights ago he proposed," Hermione blushed as Lucas took her hand. "I couldn't stop crying."

Harry sat back down still grinning as he stared at them. Looking at Lucas' boyish face, black hair and deep blue eyes and Hermione's wavy, golden-brown hair and bright hazel eyes Harry knew if they ever decided to have kids they'd turn out beautiful. They were both a beautiful couple together and extremely happy, it seemed. Rarely did they have fights but when they did usually Hermione would break down or Lucas would apologize. Only once did Hermione contact him crying and it was only because she thought they'd have to split up because of her work. He was truly happy for them.

They four of them began talking of plans and such and Hermione told them the wedding wouldn't be until after Christmas. A little while later another knock came at the door and this time Draco stood up to get it. Ron appeared with a petite blonde girl at his side. She had deep brown eyes and she had a shy smile on her face.

"Everyone, this is Lillian," Ron introduced as the tips of his ears turned red as all eyes were on them.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione smiled.

"Hi," Lillian blushed.

They all introduced each other and Harry summoned more chairs and charmed the table to expand to fit everyone comfortably.

"Ron, look at Hermione's finger!" Harry exclaimed once they were all seated.

"Blimey!" he shouted, taking her hand and looking at the gorgeous ruby surrounded on both sides by small diamonds. "I can't believe it, Hermione! This is great!"

Hugging her tightly, he congratulated her and Lillian took a look at the ring admiring it. The girls soon went off in their own topic as the boys recalled humorous events that happened in the past.

"So this Christmas we were thinking about taking a vacation to a tropical area," Lucas said. "If you guys are interested that is."

"Yeah," Harry smiled, glancing at Draco who nodded in agreement.

"I need a vacation," Draco stretched his arms over his head. "After all this practicing for the championships a break would be nice."

"I agree. As much as I love Quidditch it'd still be nice to do something else," Harry said, taking a sip of his tea. "So where were you guys thinking of going?"

"There's this little island near the Caribbean for only wizards and witches. They have magical water parks, amusement parks and of course beaches."

"I love the sound of it already," Ron grinned.

"Yeah, so how long have you and Lillian been going out?" Harry asked, smiling.

"About a month now," Ron blushed. "I really like her. She's an amazing cook and says she wants kids too! That's really all my mum wanted to hear. But the family loves her and so far we've been doing really well."

"That's great news, Ron. I'm so happy for you!" Harry exclaimed, grinning at his friend.

Looking bashful, Ron nodded and glanced down at his cup. They all stayed for dinner, which Draco ordered from an expensive restaurant, and got talking about Christmas plans. It was decided that they would all chip in for hotel rooms, with a wizard hotel right by the beach, and amusement park tickets.

"This Christmas is going to be so exciting!" Lillian exclaimed as she slung an arm through Hermione's.

"Yes, but we're all going to need our own rooms," Hermione answered.

Harry raised an eyebrow in amusement and Hermione's cheeks turned bright red. Lillian laughed in response.

"Remember we're all taking a wizard bus there," Ron said, referring to a flying bus much like a flying car that would transport them and their luggage safely to the hotel.

"You sure your captain won't mind?" Lucas asked both Draco and Harry.

Shrugging, Draco smirked. "Not like we care. We're going anyway. We can take a break from Quidditch. After all, Harry and I are practically the stars of the team."

Harry rolled his eyes. "We're not the only famous players out there, Draco. We've got competition. And as I recall the last time someone from the stands who was cheering for the opposite team booed you, you accidentally knocked your broom into a bludger that mistakenly went flying toward him."

Snorting, Draco crossed his arms. "So? He didn't die did he?"

"No because the referees managed to stop the bludger in time. He was pretty shaken up though. And strangely no one even knew that it was your broom that accidentally hit it," Harry smirked, having seen the whole thing though Draco was very cunning when he played dirty.

"Oh, Draco!" Hermione scolded, sending him a glare. "You know that you can't please everybody, right? Just because your team is in the lead and has a good opportunity for winning the World Championships doesn't mean that there aren't other good teams out there. Not everyone is going to cheer for you. I mean look at Harry. He's still the most famous wizard because he defeated Voldemort and his legacy is probably going to be passed down for centuries to come, but still not everyone cheers for him in Quidditch."

"Yeah, but face-to-face they'd be too scared or intimidated to say even one negative thing," Ron answered as Harry shook his head in amusement.

"Not former Slytherins," Harry responded casually, leaning on his hand.

"No, but thankfully students now selected into Slytherin aren't trying to follow the Dark Lord or get your killed. I think over time the evil that is normally associated with Slytherins will die with the former pure-bloods and families that once served Voldemort," Hermione answered logically. "Already you see Slytherins nowadays at Hogwarts being nicer and getting along better with the other houses."

"Yeah, but it's going to take a long time before all the houses are equal," Draco commented as Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Why's that?" Lucas asked. He was vaguely familiar with how the houses at Hogwarts worked.

"Well, just because most Slytherin families who worked for the Dark Lord are either in hiding or in Azkaban doesn't mean that they believe the Dark Lord had the right idea," Ron said angrily. "There will still be some trouble-makers at Hogwarts; probably some Slytherins like Pansy and such that will still admire what the Dark Lord tried to do."

"There will always be bad people in the world, Ron," Harry shrugged. "There's nothing we can do about that, but as long as another Dark Age doesn't come I'm fine with it."

Hermione smiled. "Exactly. Besides, after surviving all those stressful years at Hogwarts and the second Dark Age with Voldemort's second attempt at world domination, we can handle ourselves."

"Not to mention, almost half the Death Eaters were executed early last year, right?" Lillian interjected, looking back and forth between them.

"That's right," Ron grinned at her. "Macnair, Avery, Nox and lots of others."

"And Bella," Harry said softly as Draco glanced sideways at him. "Bella Lestrange."

"She deserved it most of all!" Hermione exclaimed, surprising all of them (since Hermione was not only for House-Elf rights, but also against execution).

"For Neville's parents and for Sirius," Harry nodded.

Ron nodded as well. "Yeah, er, aren't Neville's parents doing better though?"

"A little, thanks to the end of the war, but they'll never be the same," Hermione said sadly.

"That's so tragic," Lillian agreed as her eyes dimmed.

"Let's focus on happier thoughts, like the future," Lucas spoke up. "Christmas is coming soon and we can all look forward to a break."

"Alright, I'll go get the dessert," Harry said, not even bothering to get up from his seat.

He waved his wand and out of the fridge came strawberry panna cotta (a dessert delicacy popular in many England restaurants, though it originated in Italy). Harry had tried some for the first time in London when he had stole a bite of Dudley's during his ninth birthday. It was also Draco's favorite.

"What is it?" Lillian asked curiously.

"Strawberry panna cotta," Draco answered, staring at it hungrily to Harry's amusement.

Hermione smiled at her confused expression. "It's an egg-less custard that is thickened with gelatin and strawberries, or whatever flavors are added but in this case it's strawberry. It's also made with buttermilk instead of regular milk to give it an added flavor and texture. And like gelatin it needs to be in the refrigerator for a while to harden into a gelatin-like form. It's really good!"

"Sounds good," Lillian smiled as she took a bite. "Ymmm! Delicious!"

Harry summoned some more tea to the table as they all ate their desserts.

"Did you hear about the Minister?" Hermione questioned. "He resigned almost a week ago."

"That's because everyone realizes he's incompetent," Harry said bitterly. "Minister Scrimageour, while he was definitely better than Fudge, only took up the Minister position in the past because he thought I was going to do all the work for him. And no one else was willing to take the position because they were too scared. Maybe he didn't think as far ahead as the future or even thought we would win the war, but ever since the war ended after the executions he must've realized how much work and responsibility the Minster position is. Even after the war, there are plenty of things to do like rebuilding structures that were destroyed, making peace with the giants and vampires to reassure them the war is over and so much more."

"Peace is just as difficult to manage as the war was," Lucas agreed, smiling softly at him. "Even though it's a lot nicer there is still a lot to do to keep peace and take actions to prevent another war."

Ron yawned tiredly. "Yeah, well now that he resigned they either have to find another Minister, who probably wouldn't want to take over since the people are becoming angered with all the incompetent Ministers, or they're going to have to reform the wizard government and find a new way of ruling."

"That's probably going to happen in the next few years," Lillian added. "I think they should have a council of Elders, the oldest wizards and maybe remaining elderly sorcerers if there are any left. That way it would be less biased and elderly wizards, respectable ones anyway, are much more responsible."

"It's just like back in Merlin's time," Hermione smiled. "I agree with that method. That way there isn't one sole ruler but a group of the wisest wizards or sorcerers that oversee most of the decisions."

"Well, we'll have to see what happens in the future," Ron yawned again. "I think it's time to head out."

"Yeah, it's getting late," Hermione agreed.

Harry stood up followed by Draco, who was finishing off his second strawberry panna cotta.

"Thanks for coming, all of you," Harry smiled sincerely.

"No problem! Next time it should be at our place," Lucas smiled, referring to the small condo he and Hermione were sharing.

"And don't forget the Christmas plans now," Ron said as he helped Lillian up.

"Like that's possible," Draco drawled sarcastically.

Ron sent him a glare, but Harry just shook his head and smiled. "See you all later!"

Harry hugged Hermione and Lillian goodbye then Lucas. He and Ron half-hugged and patted each other's backs. Draco participated in hugging Hermione and Lillian, but he only shook hands with Ron and Lucas. After they all said their goodbyes, Harry closed the door. Smiling, he turned and wrapped his arms tightly around Draco.

"It sounds like it's going to be a fun vacation."

"Yeah," Draco agreed, shrugging. "As long as Weasley doesn't get on my nerves too much."

Harry laughed softly. "You two should really learn to get along. Oh, don't forget that Remus is coming over for dinner tomorrow."

Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Great, just what I want. You know he probably only wants to check up on you to make sure I haven't transformed into an evil Slytherin and am plotting to poison you."

Harry raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Really, Draco your positive outlook is so thrilling. You know that ever since last Christmas when we got back together and Remus met you personally and talked with you that he realized you're sincere. I've explained to him everything about you and he knows you chose to break ties from your family and that you were never like them. So stop being paranoid. Besides, Ron's the one who checks up on me sometimes not him."

Draco's eyes narrowed, but Harry leaned in and placed his lips atop his. Draco eventually closed his eyes and responded to the kiss. As Harry tilted his head, he slipped his tongue between Draco's lips and felt the blond's tongue lash out to spar with his. Their kissing became passionate and Harry could feel his desire building. Draco still had an intense effect on him just like the first time they began having feelings for one another. They finally broke apart and Harry smiled.

"Want to go upstairs?"

Draco raised an eyebrow but relinquished his hold on him. The two of them walked upstairs to the master bedroom that they shared. Harry waved his wand until he was clad in his boxers and watched as Draco magically changed into his boxers as well. Harry then summoned two alcoholic butterbeers and approached the plush couch that sat in front of the fireplace a short distance from the king-sized bed they shared. Draco had already plopped down onto the couch and took the butterbeer offered to him.

"So, how long until you think Ron will have kids?"

"I honestly don't want to think about it," Draco drawled in amusement as he took a sip. "You know we'll be stuck babysitting."

Harry laughed and pulled him close, bending over to press their lips together. "Not if we make excuses about needing to practice Quidditch. I think there's a good chance we'll go the championships this year. And if we win the world championships we'll have more than enough money to retire."

Draco raised both eyebrows. "True, Potter but I want to continue for a while longer. We're only nineteen after all."

Harry didn't bother to remind him that Draco would be 20 in about three months, on June 5th. And Harry's birthday wasn't too far after that, July 31st. Hermione considered the twentieth birthday to be the biggest because, although the legal adult age in Britain was 18, being twenty meant no longer being a teenager.

"Sure, I don't mind," Harry said, smiling. "I just meant that I don't think we'll ever run into financial problems."

Draco snorted softly. "Yeah."

For a minute they were both silent and Harry scooted closer until his body was resting up against Draco's.

"Draco, I'm really glad this worked out between us. I thought last year that I had completely ruined it."

The blond turned and glanced at him. He was silent for a minute before he spoke. "It was my fault too. I didn't want to break-up but I was thinking only of my career. I thought a relationship might hold me back and prevent me from becoming a famous Quidditch player. Once I was on the team though I began realizing that I was always in a bad mood. I didn't figure out why until I saw you again and then I knew…"

"Draco," Harry said quietly, putting a hand on his knee.

The blond snorted softly and shrugged. "It's nothing really. Even now I still can't believe how things ended up between us."

"Yeah, I think about that sometimes when I stop and look at how far we've come. Mostly I'm shocked how long we've been together. But I definitely am glad I went to that Quidditch Academy otherwise we would've always remained enemies," Harry said, staring into his eyes.

Draco nodded silently and they remained side-by-side being warmed by the fire as they sipped their butterbeers. Wordlessly, Harry pressed up against Draco's side. When he turned, Harry wrapped his arms around his neck and pushed him backward gently. Draco managed to keep a firm grip on his drink as Harry lay down on top of him.

"Potter if you want to have sex just say so," Draco drawled, his eyes glistening with amusement.

"Maybe in a little while," Harry smiled, moving to press his lips upon Draco's. "I just want to relax first."

Draco raised an eyebrow but Harry just smiled and leaned in again for another kiss. He opened his mouth as their lips met. Both their eyes closed and Harry moved his lips passionately over his as the sound of their kissing continued. Harry slipped his tongue through Draco's parted lips and groaned as their tongues touched and caressed. He was already becoming more aroused, but he didn't want to move to the bed yet.

Breaking away from the kiss, Harry stared down at him lovingly. Their bodies were still pressed tightly together as Harry remained atop him. Draco's hard-on was pressing gently against his stomach and they gazed into one another's eyes. Harry's forest-green eyes and Draco's silver-blue eyes were illuminated by the glow of the fire, making the gaze more ethereal.

Harry lifted his free hand, while his other kept hold of his own drink, and brushed his fingers across Draco's cheek as he moved some stray blond hairs from his face. Then Harry's lips curled into a coy smile.

"So, is there a chance we'll ever get married?"

Draco gazed up at him, raising both eyebrows. "Potter, I think seeing Hermione's engagement ring has brainwashed you."

Smiling, Harry noted the fact that Draco hadn't said anything against it. Perhaps one day they could get married, but whether or not they would ever exchange rings Harry knew for sure that there was no way they were going to break up; they had finally gotten through the last obstacle. And there were so many things to look forward to for the future.

Bending down, Harry rested his head on Draco's chest, pressing a small kiss to his sternum. A few seconds later, Draco raised his free hand and draped it over Harry's bare back. Harry smiled into his chest and after setting his drink down on the floor he wrapped his other hand around the blond's back. He knew he loved Draco and in fact he had told the blond that a year ago when Ron had almost ruined everything. Draco hadn't said it back outright, but it was understandable; Draco had never been told he was loved by his parents and therefore he had never been able to openly express feelings, at least until Harry opened him up.

Draco showed his love in many other ways, like draping an arm around him in public, or buying him gifts here and there. Despite the fact that they would have arguments and there would still be some rough times and even some doubts about making the championships, there were many more good memories to overcome the bad. And he knew that he and Draco would be able to get through anything. They had their friends, their own place, successful jobs (in which both of them were now well-known) but best of all they now had each other, for the rest of their lives.

_**The End**_

**NOTE:****Two-part sequel is **_**CAPTIVATION:**__**LUX HALL**_**. **

To Reviewers:

**MoonlightGoddess08:**Awww, thanks! I'm so glad you liked that scene! Yeah, Draco was being a little jealous and possessive but at the same time it shows that he doesn't want to lose Harry to someone else. I know, I'm sad it's now over too! But I hope to write a Christmas story! And at least it ended happily, right? Thanks for sticking with me! Don't let homework overwhelm you too much! :-)

**The Earth Mystic:**Lol! Yes, sorry that last chapter was sad, but there had to be some intense drama different from an argument just to add more reality. But at least it ended happy! Yeah, hopefully from now on when I start stories I'll be able to finish them as fast as I did this one. And I do hope to do a Christmas story with Harry/Draco so we'll see! Thanks for sticking with me through all of it! :-)

**:**Aww, thanks! Yeah, midterms was alright. A lot of studying. So much that not only was this delayed but I had to miss a Taekwon-Do class too. Ah well! I have one more to go on Wednesday and then no more tests till mid-December (finals). Yeah, it was sad! But I promised a happy ending and I came through! Of course I wouldn't leave these two apart; they're too perfect for each other! Thanks for sticking with me through it all! :-)

**Hkph:**Aww, thanks! Yeah, I'm sad this is finished now but I'm happy I managed to complete a story in a fair amount of time (this is a record for me, lol!). And I do hope to do a Harry/Draco Christmas story. Oh yes! I wouldn't keep these two apart; they're too perfect for one another! Just like I promised, a happy ending! Thanks for sticking with me through it all! :-)

**wIthOUt A nAmE:**Awww, thanks! Yeah, I'm so sorry the last chapter was sad, but it added to the reality in my mind. Just more drama that is necessary for them to be together in the end! And yes, as I promised a happy ending! Yeah, I'm sad this is over now but yes I do hope to do a Christmas story! Thanks so much for that compliment and also thanks for sticking with me through the whole story! :-)

**Siri02:**Lol! Yeah, sorry about that! Suspense was necessary! But as I promised a happy ending! Hehe! Thanks a bunch! :-)

**ItsaMiracle:**Yeah, I guess I did jump right into their senior year, but I felt like going week by week through all four years would get repetitive and boring. Yep, it couldn't go on forever. Awwww, thanks so much for that compliment! That makes me feel really happy! I'm very glad that you chose to continue reading this. I'm sorry that it didn't draw you in at first. Was it the prologue or the summary? Ah well, nothing's perfect. Hehe! Oh yes, the erotic times were great, lol! Sorry this took a little longer than expected to get up. Almost nine days! GOSH! But I had midterms, in my defense, so I had to study. Lol! Yep, just as promised a happily-ever-after, though hope not to the extent that you're reminded of The Little Mermaid or something. But thanks for sticking with me through it all! :-)

**Rita In Wonderland:**Aww, thank you very much for that! I would've loved to do a sequel but I think it would've ruined this. After all, it'd get too repetitive watching them day-by-day but I do hope to do a Harry/Draco Christmas story! I'm very glad you liked this and thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**Ghosthly-Shadow:**Sorry for the sad chapter! It was necessary though; suspense and drama make for a good plot, hehe! And as promised a happy ending! Ah yes, I wasn't about to leave Ron all alone in the dark! There was a hint about him not being alone in this chapter but it wasn't important to go into detail about that. Anywhoo, thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**GreenEyedCatDragon:**Oh yes, don't worry a happily-ever-after as promised! My next story? Well, I plan to do a Harry/Draco Christmas story (in time for Christmas, hehe!) so I guess just look out around December. I really hope I can post it and that school doesn't get in the way. But thanks for sticking with me through this all! :-)

**Gbheart:**aw, thanks! Just one more midterm to go! Lol! But yes, as promised a happy ending! So did it end the way you were thinking? Thanks so much for sticking with me till the end! I hope to have a Harry/Draco Christmas story out in time. Thanks again!

**SilverJadlyn:**Lol! Yes, don't worry I wouldn't separate them for long! They're too perfect for one another! Hehe! As promised a happy ending! Thanks for sticking with me! :-)

**GrimWriter:**Awww, thanks! Well, I think the epilogue was longer than most of the chapters (except for the Christmas chapter I think) but hopefully everything was tied up nicely. And thanks for sticking with me till the end! As promised a happy ending! :-)

**Feilyn:**Yeah, sorry for the sad chapter! But as promised a happy ending! Thanks for sticking with me! :-)

**VeriAequeRedem:**Sorry for the sad chapter! Lol! But suspense and drama like that is necessary sometimes! And as promised a happy ending! Awwww, thanks so much! I'm sure you're a better writer than you give yourself credit for! I definitely know I still have a ways to go even though being a professional writer is my dream! Thanks for sticking with me till the end! I hope to have a Draco/Harry Christmas story out after this! Hopefully school won't get in the way, lol! Thanks again! :-)

**Tesni:**Don't worry, as promised a happy ending! Thanks for sticking with me! :-)

**Skittlelove:**Awww, thanks! Ah yes, Draco can be so stubborn, but at least it was him who initiated it this time! And as promised a happy ending! Don't worry, I wouldn't ever separate them permanently! Yeah, sorry this took longer than expected to get up. Midterms suck! ARGH! But anyway, I do also hope to get a Harry/Draco Christmas story up. But anyway, thanks for sticking with me through this all! I'm very happy you enjoyed this! :-)

**Smurff:**Awww, yeah I'm sad this is over now too, but I do hope to do others. And as promised a happy ending! Thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**LadyDragonWolfKnight:**That's okay! If you think of anything let me know. And as promised a happy ending! Lol! Yes, sorry for the sadness but it wasn't too angsty. And it was necessary for them to get through yet another obstacle. Lol! But anyway, thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**DestinyEntwinements:**hey now! I did promise a happy ending! Lol! Now I'll have bruises from the stuff you threw. Hehe! But anywhoo, some suspense/drama like that is necessary for a good plot, plus Draco and Harry needed to overcome their last obstacle. But anyway, thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**Shakespeares Whore:**Lol! Calm down, don't worry I wouldn't ever separate them permanently. It was necessary for them to overcome their last obstacle. Hopefully all your questions are answered by now. Hehe! As promised a happy ending! And thanks for sticking with me through it all! :-)

**CrimsonSoulStealer:**Aww, thanks so much! I'm very happy you like this story! Yeah, I'm sad it's over but I do hope to do more! And as promised a happy ending! Lol! Thanks again! :-)

**Cath:**Sorry for the sad chapter! As promised a happy ending! Lol! Er, you mean Harry being on top? I'm afraid that I just didn't see them switching dominant/submissive roles in this. Because of Harry's inexperience and because of their personalities I figure that Harry's just fine with being taken each time. I'm sorry if you wanted to see Draco being taken; I just see Draco as the one being dominant. But anywhoo, thanks for sticking with me till the end! :-)

**Kai'sgrl:**Awww, thank you so much! I'm very happy to hear you're enjoying this! And yes, I'm sad too that it's over but I do hope to do more! Oh yes, don't worry as promised a happy ending! Hehe! Thanks for sticking with me! :-)

**Jeje:**I'm glad you thought the sad part seemed to fit! Sometimes sad parts are just necessary, but as promised a happy ending! Hehe! Thanks for sticking with me all the way! :-)

**Peaceful Angel:**I'm very happy you like it! Yeah, sorry for the sad chapter but it was necessary! And as promised a happy ending! Hehe! Thanks a bunch! :-)

**DracoLover:**Awww, thanks so much! I'm very happy to hear that you like this so much! And I put Draco and Harry's height in this just for you (I honestly didn't think that detail was very important to the story but I figured it wouldn't hurt to put it in). Lol! Oh yes, of course there's sexual content for the end. It makes for a better ending, right? Hehe! And of course I wouldn't separate them for long! As promised a happy ending! Thanks a bunch! :-)


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